West Virginia and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills

West Virginia ranks 4th in the U.S. for coal ash generation, producing over 7.2 million tons annually. The state's disposal infrastructure is characterized by aging, often unlined ponds with significant safety hazards and documented water contamination. The document argues that West Virginia's regulatory framework is deficient, failing to require basic safeguards, regular state inspections, groundwater monitoring, or financial assurances for cleanup.

• West Virginia is a major producer of coal ash, ranking 4th in the United States with annual generation exceeding 7.2 million tons. The state has at least 41 coal ash ponds across 11 power plants, with at least five rated as "high hazard" (where loss of life is likely upon failure) and at least seven rated as "significant hazard" (likely to cause economic or environmental damage).
• Coal ash disposal infrastructure in West Virginia suffers from significant age and stability issues. Known ponds are over 30 years old, and 18 ponds are totally unlined. Specific failures include the Little Broad Run dam, which was rated "unsatisfactory" in 2009 due to erodible materials and a lack of an emergency spillway, and the Pleasants Power site, where the EPA found seepage, slope instability, and a lack of liquefaction evaluations for dam materials.
• Coal ash sites have caused documented contamination of surface and groundwater. At the John Amos Power Plant, selenium levels in fish tissue exceeded EPA proposed criteria by 7-fold. At the Mitchell Generating Station, surface water discharges exceeded selenium criteria by more than 23 times. Other sites, including Albright, Kanawha River, Mount Storm, Mountaineer, and Philip Sporn, show groundwater exceedances for contaminants such as thallium, chromium, nickel, arsenic, and barium.
• The West Virginia regulatory program is described as deficient because it does not require composite liners for all new landfills, groundwater monitoring for all ponds and landfills, or financial bonds to ensure cleanup funds. Furthermore, state regulations only regulate very large ponds (e.g., 25 feet high or impounding 15 acre-feet), leaving moderate-sized ponds unregulated, and they do not mandate regular inspections by state regulators.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). West Virginia and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/west-virginia-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12-15.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. West Virginia and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/west-virginia-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12-15.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=West Virginia and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/west-virginia-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12-15.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendwest, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{West Virginia and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/west-virginia-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12-15.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }