Brine Solidification And Metals Sequestration Using Lignocellulosics,
2026
Lignetics Group
Brine Solidification And Metals Sequestration Using Lignocellulosics, Frank Kvietok
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Coal ash has historically been used as a convenient, on-site solidification material for brines generated from flue gas desulfurization at power plants. As alternate utilization scenarios are developed for coal ash, lignocellulosic (wood-based) sorbents can serve as a highly efficient substitute for the solidification process. Results will be shared for a variety of different brine types: thermally reduced, thermally reduced and neutralized, and reverse osmosis. In addition to solidification performance, which demonstrated a 3-4x mass of liquid vs mass of sorbent factor, studies were conducted to quantify the strength of binding to the wood-based sorbent for a broad range of …
Practical Guidelines For Pump Testing Of Ccr: Workflow, Design, And Lessons Learned.,
2026
Ramboll
Practical Guidelines For Pump Testing Of Ccr: Workflow, Design, And Lessons Learned., Nathanial Keller, Brian Hennings, Vic Modeer, Katie Moran
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
This session presents a streamlined approach for pump testing of coal combustion residuals (CCR) to maximize hydraulic information with limited well installations, variable pumping rates, and short tests. Pre-test forward modeling identifies well offsets (typically 5–10 ft) and test durations (~2–6 hours) to yield measurable and analyzable drawdown at observation wells despite low pumping rates. Field execution consists of short step-drawdown testing to evaluate well specific capacity and select pumping rates for a constant rate test with one or more observation wells. Test results facilitate analysis of transmissivity and storativity of the CCR. Applied at two Midwestern sites with different …
Simplified Approximate Procedure For Assessing The Implications Of Updated Usgs Seismic Hazard Models On Seismic Stability Assessments Of Ccr Impoundment Facilities,
2026
Tennessee Valley Authority
Simplified Approximate Procedure For Assessing The Implications Of Updated Usgs Seismic Hazard Models On Seismic Stability Assessments Of Ccr Impoundment Facilities, Nick Mcclung, Matt Bishop, Adrian Pena-Iguaran, Seda Gokyer-Erbis
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Selection of appropriate seismic design ground motions remains a key challenge for seismic stability assessments of coal combustion residual (CCR) impoundment facilities, particularly where regulatory guidance does not specify a required hazard model. This paper examines the implications of using Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) derived from the 2014 versus the 2018 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for seismic amplification and stability evaluations of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Widows Creek Fossil (WCF) Plant CCR Management Units. The 2018 NSHM incorporates updated understanding of seismicity in the central and eastern United States and generally predicts higher ground …
Before The Limit Hits: Lessons From A Proactive Construction Air Monitoring Program,
2026
CTI and Associates
Before The Limit Hits: Lessons From A Proactive Construction Air Monitoring Program, Brian Egan, Nicholas Golden, Wendy Depp
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
This presentation describes a comprehensive air monitoring program designed to protect workers and nearby neighborhoods during ash pond closure work. The program uses three main components: project (or boundary) monitoring at the site perimeter to track dust near the project boundaries, work area monitoring placed near active construction zones, and personal sampling on individual workers at regular intervals. Together, these approaches provide data on both community impacts and worker exposures, helping the team respond quickly when levels approach action limits. The Teams actions prior to exceedance of regulatory limits has helped prevent exposures. The talk will explain how monitors are …
Integrating Advanced Geochemical Workflows With Modern Statistical Tools To Improve The Decision-Making Process At Ccr Sites, A Case Study,
2026
Haley and Aldrich
Integrating Advanced Geochemical Workflows With Modern Statistical Tools To Improve The Decision-Making Process At Ccr Sites, A Case Study, Glenna Thomas
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
While statistical assessment provides the foundation for CCR compliance reporting, incorporating a holistic geochemical framework transforms statistics from a compliance requirement into a powerful predictive tool. Strategic geochemical insight established the basis of understanding needed to support successful statistical approaches and to ensure that statistical outcomes reflect actual groundwater behavior. Whether it is trend analysis, delineating source mechanism, or updating geochemical conceptual site models (GCMs), geochemical context provides the technical foundations for statistical outputs and methods. A continuously refined GCSM enhances the ability to anticipate how groundwater chemistry should evolve, improving interpretation and predictive capability. This allows practitioners to understand …
Establishing Groundwater Monitoring Systems Under The Legacy Rule: A Systematic Approach For Utilities,
2026
Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc.
Establishing Groundwater Monitoring Systems Under The Legacy Rule: A Systematic Approach For Utilities, Chris Hoglund
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
The USEPA’s Legacy CCR Rule introduces new requirements for establishing groundwater monitoring systems at Legacy Surface Impoundments (LSIs) and Coal Combustion Residual Management Units (CCRMUs). These requirements present unique challenges for electric utilities, particularly at inactive or historically operated facilities where subsurface data are limited and CCR units may have nontraditional configurations such as linear roadways, elongated embankments, or distributed disposal areas. Utilities must also determine how best to apply single-unit or multi-unit monitoring approaches, integrate newly regulated units into existing monitoring networks, and align monitoring system design with planned closure strategies. This presentation outlines a systematic, defensible framework to …
Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills,
2026
Gradient
Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills, Qian Zhang, Andrew Bittner, John Kondziolka, Masoud Arshadi
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) established new regulations for coal combustion residual management units (CCRMUs), defined as coal combustion residual (CCR) deposits placed on power plant properties outside of landfills or surface impoundments. US EPA supported the rulemaking with modeling-based risk analyses and established regulatory requirements based on fill size. Linear CCRMU, such as backfill along pipelines or haul roads, have individual segments that may be composed of a small amount of mass below the threshold for regulation, but the cumulative mass over the full linear feature extent may exceed regulatory thresholds. This study applies US …
Application Of Mine Tailings Flow Failure Assessment On Ccr,
2026
Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
Application Of Mine Tailings Flow Failure Assessment On Ccr, Zachary Fallert
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
A new geotechnical stability analysis method has been implemented for a CCR surface impoundment to aid in design for temporary cut slopes and final closure grades. Conditions have come to light after significant tailings dam failures occurred across the globe, specifically those exhibiting flow failures (i.e. failures in which tailings behave a liquid and flow out of the facility). These failures have come under intense scrutiny as the failures pose significant risk to public safety and the environment and have been observed in CCR. Additionally, static liquefaction has arisen as another potential but less well understood causative mechanism. As the …
Lessons Learned: Commissioning An Fgd Wastewater Treatment System,
2026
Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
Lessons Learned: Commissioning An Fgd Wastewater Treatment System, Bella Triolet, Mckale Grant, Louis Manigault
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Stantec recently supported commissioning a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater Treatment System in accordance with the 2020 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) Rule, which requires that coal fired power plants meet their more stringent requirements by December 31, 2025. With the addition of the 2024 EPA ELG Rule, coal fired power plants will now be expected to move to zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems or permanently cease coal combustion by 2034. Due to this change, it is likely that coal fired power plants will be looking to design and install ZLD systems within the next decade. While …
Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills,
2026
Gradient
Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills, Qian Zhang, Andrew Bittner, John Kondziolka, Masoud Arshadi
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) established new regulations for coal combustion residual management units (CCRMUs), defined as coal combustion residual (CCR) deposits placed on power plant properties outside of landfills or surface impoundments. US EPA supported the rulemaking with modeling-based risk analyses and established regulatory requirements based on fill size. Linear CCRMU, such as backfill along pipelines or haul roads, have individual segments that may be composed of a small amount of mass below the threshold for regulation, but the cumulative mass over the full linear feature extent may exceed regulatory thresholds. This study applies US …
Site Characterization, Design, Permitting, And Construction For Clean Closure Of A Small But Challenging Legacy Ccr Disposal Impoundment,
2026
Tetra Tech EC, Inc.
Site Characterization, Design, Permitting, And Construction For Clean Closure Of A Small But Challenging Legacy Ccr Disposal Impoundment, John Garten, Bob Baker, Lee Lenhart
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
The Lay of Land Area (LOLA) is a 10-acre (40,468 square meters) legacy disposal impoundment containing approximately 55,000 cubic yards (42,000 cubic meters) of sluiced coal combustion residuals (CCRs) produced during startup operations of a former fossil plant. Most of its perimeter is bounded by water, with a river to the north and a cooling water lake to the south. The entire area lies within a 100-year floodplain, is heavily forested, and groundwater is typically encountered within a few feet of the existing ground surface. As part of an overall CCR closure-by-removal and ash beneficiation program, planning, design, permitting, and …
Trimble County Pond Closures,
2026
Tetra Tech EC, Inc.
Trimble County Pond Closures, Steven Turner, Shanti Montgomery
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
The Trimble County Closure Project is a 5-year project to close the 40-acre (161,900 square meters) Gypsum Storage Pond (GSP) through closure-by-removal and the 100-acre (404,700 square meters) Bottom Ash Pond (BAP) through closure-in-place in accordance with coal combustion residual (CCR) Rule. The excavated gypsum from the GSP was “Beneficially Reused” to fill the BAP to the prescribed grade for drainage through a monitored outfall to the adjacent creek. The daily plant produced CCRs of fly ash, bottom ash, and gypsum were also used for four years to supplement the filling of the BAP as well as several onsite soil/rock …
Dewatering System Operations And Modeling Of A Bottom Ash Ccr Surface Impoundment,
2026
WSP
Dewatering System Operations And Modeling Of A Bottom Ash Ccr Surface Impoundment, Craig Schuettpelz, Todd Stong, Ben Sieren
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Dewatering of coal combustion residual (CCR) surface impoundments is a technically challenging item for sites with CCR units at closure. Generation has ceased at this site where fly ash was mostly sold for beneficial use and bottom ash was sluiced to composite-lined CCR surface impoundments to passively drain prior to landfilling. During site closure and restoration, bottom ash and relatively minor amounts of other permitted waste materials were consolidated into the site’s landfill and bottom ash impoundment. The bottom ash impoundment entered closure 5 years ago with installation of a final cover system and construction of a sump to allow …
Building Better Partnerships: Design-Build Lessons From The Ash Pond Closure Front Lines,
2026
CTI and Associates
Building Better Partnerships: Design-Build Lessons From The Ash Pond Closure Front Lines, Brian Egan, Nicholas Golden, Mark Edlebeck
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
This presentation shares lessons learned on an ash pond dig-and-haul project delivered by a design-build team with CTI providing engineering and Fisher Contracting delivering construction services. CTI and Fisher Contracting will discuss how they formed their partnership, what makes a good teaming arrangement work, and the challenges that come with working closely together. This team has worked side by side from early design through construction, which has helped cut costs and keep the project on schedule. The talk will show how the partners divide tasks, then adjust roles as needed instead of locking into a fixed plan. In some cases, …
Illinois Coal Ash Impoundment Assessment,
2026
Illinois State Geological Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana and Champaign
Illinois Coal Ash Impoundment Assessment, Randy Locke
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Coal combustion residuals (CCR) present one of the most significant waste management challenges in the United States. Illinois hosts 72 coal ash impoundments at 23 facilities across 22 counties. In 2019, the state enacted Public Act 101 0171 (Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act), followed by Illinois Administrative Code Title 35, Part 845, establishing CCR surface impoundment standards. Even with federal and state requirements, significant gaps remain in identifying management options and site-specific risks. Key limitations include: (1) incomplete understanding of ash composition and variability within and among impoundments; and (2) fragmented information on impoundment physical properties, operational status, and geological …
Response Surface Modelling And Multi-Objective Optimisation Of Asphalt Binder And Mixture Properties Modified With Reclaimed Automotive Lubricants And Waste Glass Bottle Powder,
2026
Sustainable Environment and Transportation Research Group (SET-RG), Department of Civil Engineering, Midlands, Durban University of Technology, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3021, South Africa AND Department of Civil Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria
Response Surface Modelling And Multi-Objective Optimisation Of Asphalt Binder And Mixture Properties Modified With Reclaimed Automotive Lubricants And Waste Glass Bottle Powder, Nura Shehu Aliyu Yaro, Jacob Adedayo Adedeji, Luvuno Nkosinathi Jele, Nasir Khan, Aliyu Usman, Jacob Olumuyiwa Ikotun
Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies
Large volumes of reclaimed automotive lubricant (RAL) and waste glass bottle powder (WGBP) are disposed of inappropriately, causing serious environmental concerns. Furthermore, the paradigm shift towards sustainability in the pavement industry has prompted academics to investigate alternatives to conventional materials. As a result, one possible approach is to use these waste products as alternative materials in the asphalt pavement sector. This study investigated the combined use of RAL and WGBP as complementary modifiers, extending beyond the conventional single-modifier approaches reported in previous studies. Thus, in this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilised to optimise and predict the synergistic effects …
Collins Aerospace Automated Pressure Switch Tester,
2026
Northern Illinois University
Collins Aerospace Automated Pressure Switch Tester, Joseph C. La Barbera, Kevin Cordero, Brenda Sanchez, Molly Bramm
Honors Capstones
For aerospace companies like Collins, pressure switches are crucial for safety, precise control, and reliability. As such, thorough testing of these switches is an essential step in Collins’ manufacturing workflow. However, current testing regimes suffer from several critical drawbacks. Firstly, they require constant manual supervision, costing precious time and manpower. Existing systems are also only able to test one single switch at a time, which creates backlog and delays. Lastly, current testing equipment has poor integration with the Collins digital ecosystem, hindering the utility of these devices. To solve these design challenges, a new system is required that is self-operable, …
Lunar Regolith Sintered Brick Apparatus,
2026
Kennesaw State University
Lunar Regolith Sintered Brick Apparatus, Andrew Fasano, Noah Parayil, Darius Felix Karra
Senior Design Project For Engineers
This project describes the preliminary design and analysis of the Semi-Autonomous Lunar Regolith Sintered Brick Apparatus that will assist in developing permanent infrastructure on the Moon. An issue with permanent lunar operations is the transportation of materials to the Moon. To address this, the designed device uses lunar regolith as the source material for producing bricks. This design considers the constraints set for operation with the Griffin lunar lander: maximum payload mass of 200 kg, power consumption below 5 kW, and limited payload dimensions. The design uses a combination of a laser sintering motion system, a regolith layering subsystem, a …
A Novel Geospatial Tool For Assessing Risks And Opportunities For Conversion Of Ccr Closures Into Productive Solar Energy Generation Sites,
2026
Profile Products LLC
A Novel Geospatial Tool For Assessing Risks And Opportunities For Conversion Of Ccr Closures Into Productive Solar Energy Generation Sites, Marc Theisen
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
Closure of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) surface impoundments and landfills offers unique opportunities for conversion to solar power sites with the potential to offset costs of post-closure care via generation of clean electricity. In 2023 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to create a report entitled “Coal Ash Disposal Sites and Opportunities for Solar Photovoltaic Development” (EPA Publication #540-S-23-004). The purpose of this document was to identify closed CCR units and provide key factors for their potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) development. In 2022, the EPA’s RE-Powering Initiative identified 772 current CCR …
Establishing A Roadmap For The Planning, Design, And Construction Of A Water Treatment System For A Ccr Unit Closure,
2026
Burns & McDonnell
Establishing A Roadmap For The Planning, Design, And Construction Of A Water Treatment System For A Ccr Unit Closure, Mariah Schroeder, Matthew Balance
World of Coal Ash Proceedings
The treatment of water from a CCR unit is an important step in the closure strategy for surface impoundments to comply with 40 CFR §257.102(d)(2)(i) of the CCR rule. The unwatering and dewatering of a surface impoundment is a necessary first step in ensuring that the eventual closure of the unit will meet the requirements for closure in place described in 40 CFR §257.102(d). Depending on the operational conditions and requirements of the plant, the NDPES discharge limits, and the impacted water quality, the water treatment system needs can vary greatly. This presentation will outline a roadmap for assessment, evaluation, …
