Repairing the Damage Cleaning Up Hazardous Coal Ash Can Create Jobs and Improve the Environment

The report examines the historical and current trends of coal ash reuse, distinguishing between encapsulated uses (such as concrete and wallboard) and unencapsulated uses (such as mine reclamation and structural fill). While encapsulated reuse can reduce CO2 emissions, unencapsulated reuse is flagged as a high-risk practice that may serve as a loophole for unregulated disposal, potentially contaminating groundwater. The document advocates for the precautionary principle and legal classification of unencapsulated reuse as disposal to protect public health.

• Coal ash production and reuse rates have both increased significantly over the long term. Production in 2019 was more than double the 1966 level, and the annual reuse rate rose from 12 percent in 1966 to 52 percent in 2019.
• Encapsulated reuse in concrete products and wallboard (synthetic gypsum) are the most common applications, accounting for 56 percent of total coal ash reused in 2019.
• Reusing fly ash in concrete can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the American Coal Ash Association claiming 250 million tons of greenhouse gases were avoided in cement production since 2000. However, the 'beneficiation' process required to make fly ash chemically suitable for concrete consumes energy and increases emissions.
• Unencapsulated reuse, such as using coal ash as filler for mine pits or structural fills, is controversial because it risks leaching contaminants into water sources and may be used to bypass disposal regulations.
• The document cites specific failures of unencapsulated reuse, including a golf course in Virginia that did not qualify as beneficial reuse and the Town of Pines, Indiana, where coal ash filler contaminated water wells and led to a Superfund site declaration.
• New research and pilot projects are exploring advanced reuse applications, including carbon nanomaterials, cenospheres for car manufacturing and battery casings, and the extraction of rare earth elements.
• The author argues that unencapsulated reuse should be legally treated as disposal and that the 'precautionary principle' should be applied to all new reuse applications to ensure industry proves safety before approval.

APA

Dixon, E. (2021). Repairing the Damage Cleaning Up Hazardous Coal Ash Can Create Jobs and Improve the Environment. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/repairing-the-damage-coal-ash-reuse-appendix.pdf

Chicago

Dixon, Eric. Repairing the Damage Cleaning Up Hazardous Coal Ash Can Create Jobs and Improve the Environment. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2021. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/repairing-the-damage-coal-ash-reuse-appendix.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dixon |first1=Eric |title=Repairing the Damage Cleaning Up Hazardous Coal Ash Can Create Jobs and Improve the Environment |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=October 2021 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/repairing-the-damage-coal-ash-reuse-appendix.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dixon2021repairing, author = {Dixon, Eric}, title = {{Repairing the Damage Cleaning Up Hazardous Coal Ash Can Create Jobs and Improve the Environment}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/repairing-the-damage-coal-ash-reuse-appendix.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }