Sustainability Commons^™

Epri Ccp Beneficiation Research Update, Benjamin Gallagher, Patrick Webb

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal combustion products (CCPs) are frequently utilized as supplementary materials in cement and concrete manufacturing. With an estimated 2 billion metric tons stored in repositories across the United States, interest in beneficial use has expanded beyond class F fly ash to include ponded and high-LOI ash. Beneficiation provides a critical pathway for managing CCP repositories, particularly under closure-by-removal strategies, and where ash sources have historically been difficult to process. Research conducted at EPRI’s Ash Beneficial Use Center (ABUC) examines the feasibility of processing these ash types into usable products and offers insights into repository variability and classification. Furthermore, the study …

Risk Evaluation Of Small Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills, Andrew Bittner, John Kondziolka, Qian Zhang, Masoud Arshadi

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

US EPA expanded the scope of CCR regulations in 2024 to areas of historical CCR placement not regulated under the 2015 CCR rule, including CCR used as fill. US EPA presented new risk analyses specific to CCRMU fills and defined different regulations for CCRMU fills from 1 to 1,000 tons, noting uncertainty as to whether there was a size of CCRMU fill below which acceptable risks could be expected. This research fills US EPA's stated data gap by modeling and analyzing impacts from small CCRMU fills. Modeling was conducted using the same methods, models, and most of the same inputs …

Investigating The Performance Of Processed Stockpile Fly Ash For Low Carbon Concrete, Michael Mccarthy, Arfas Habeeb, Laszlo Csetenyi, Roderick Jones

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Reducing embodied carbon in concrete has increasingly focused on clinker substitution through the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). However, the local availability of fly ash, a widely used SCM in the UK, offering benefits in this role, has reduced over the past decade, as coal-fired electricity generating plants have gradually been taken out of service. Attention has, therefore, increasingly focused on fly ash from stockpile and landfill sites to maintain supply, i.e., material not used following production and put into storage. Most UK fly ash originated from the burning of bituminous coal, producing low-lime siliceous material, which although undergoing …

Solar Solution For Closed Ccr Units And Adjacent Land, Chris Fairey

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Solar Solution for Closed CCR Units and Adjacent Land Chris Fairey1, Kenny Hughes1 1Watershed Geo, 1125 Sanctuary Pkwy, Suite 180, Alpharetta, GA 30009 KEYWORDS: Solar, Racking, Brownfield, Greenfield, Slopes, PowerCap® ABSTRACT With the reduction in coal fired power generation, there is a consistent trend in the industry to supplement generation with solar power. The property located within and surrounding these decommissioned power plants offers a significant opportunity to create a renewable solar power asset. The PowerCap® Nail to Rail System, developed by Watershed Geo, is an advanced solar racking solution designed for sites that do not require environmental closure such …

Abundances Of Elements In Global Coals, Shifeng Dai

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The abundance of elements in coal is important not only because it provides a solid scientific and practical foundation for various geochemical comparisons, but also because it helps address broader questions in Earth Sciences. In this study, data on major and trace elements in global coals comprising hundreds of thousands of coal samples were compiled from peer-reviewed journal articles, books, various databases, dissertations, and technical reports. These data formed the basis for estimating element abundances in global coals presented in this study. All collected data were rigorously screened for reliability, and any records with questionable quality were excluded from the …

Consolidation Modeling To Support Closure Planning Of An Upstream Raise Ccr Surface Impoundment Containing Fgd Material, Tanya Walkenbach, Craig Schuettpelz, Todd Stong, Shane Stockdill

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Rainbow Energy Center’s (REC’s) Coal Creek Station has managed calcium sulfite flue gas desulfurization (FGD) material in composite-lined upstream raise surface impoundments since 2001. The upstream raise surface impoundment utilizes bottom ash (drainage zone) and fly ash (structural zone) produced at Coal Creek Station to contain the FGD placement. FGD material was hydraulically sluiced to the center of the 110-acre Upstream Raise 92 (UR92) coal combustion residual (CCR) unit between 2001 and 2021. The FGD was deposited to a maximum thickness of approximately 100 feet in the center of the unit. Significant consolidation of FGD material occurred with subsequent FGD …

Investigation Of A Historical Coal Combustion Residuals Management Unit (Ccrmu), Todd Stong, Shane Stockdill, Erin Hunter

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Rainbow Energy Center’s (REC’s) Coal Creek Station has managed coal combustion residuals (CCR) in various engineered impoundments and landfills since plant operation began in 1978. Since then, waste containment methods have evolved resulting in significant changes to their CCR management practice. In the late 1980s and early 1990s REC closed several existing CCR units with natural soil liners and constructed several new CCR units with composite liner systems. One of the closed units was an area now referred to as North Section 16, an impoundment that received CCR including bottom ash, fly ash, and flue gas desulfurization material. North Section …

Transportation Logistics Panel, John Ward, Andrew Vollmer, Tracy Zea, Marci Jenks

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

As the industry shifts from freshly generated ash to harvested materials and advanced utilization, logistics is becoming one of the primary drivers of project success or failure. This moderated panel will explore how sourcing, transportation, and storage realities are changing — and what project teams most often underestimate when working with harvested coal ash. Panelists will discuss what breaks, what becomes more complex, and how logistics considerations are reshaping planning and development.

Optimization Of Remedial Strategies For Ccr Site Corrective Action Through Advanced Geochemical Modeling, Cole Mayer, Pj Nolan

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The power industry is actively designing and implementing corrective measures for Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR). In many cases, these measures include active remedies such as pump and treat, in-situ injection, or reactive barriers, all of which demand a thorough understanding of the underlying geochemical system. Depending on the geochemical characteristics of an aquifer, different chemical reagents can achieve varying degrees of success or even be detrimental to the remediation of the site. Advanced geochemical modeling is an invaluable tool for developing a remedy that is optimized to the site-specific geological, hydrological, and geochemical environment. In the case study presented here, …

Application Of Stable Isotopes In An Alternative Source Demonstration, Alison O'Connor

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Stable isotope analysis is commonly used in age dating, provenance studies and to differentiate between sources of groundwater. Multiple studies have shown that strontium and boron isotopic ratios can be successfully used in identifying CCR impacts to groundwater. This talk presents an applied case study using boron and strontium isotopes in conjunction with additional geochemical approaches in an alternative source demonstration. Boron and strontium isotopes were measured in both groundwater and CCR leachate over sampling events from 2019 to 2025. The data revealed that strontium and boron isotopic signatures in groundwater near the CCR unit differed significantly from both site-specific …

Distinguishing Ccp From Nuclear Impacts In Groundwater, Lea Millet

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

As the energy transition from fossil fuels to other generation technologies continues, many companies worldwide are evaluating the feasibility of constructing nuclear power plants at sites previously used for coal-powered generation. Thermal power plant sites offer advantages for siting nuclear generation such as proximity to cooling water and grid connections; however existing impacts to groundwater from coal combustion product (CCP) management units may confound monitoring programs designed to detect impacts from nuclear operations. For example, boron and lithium may be present in waters associated with CCP management and nuclear power plant operations, and potassium that often has concentrations above background …

Ccr Landfill Closure Challenges, Solutions And Innovation, Jay Mokotoff, Drew Browning, Steve Applegate

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

CCR landfills can present unique design and construction challenges for the industry when closing these units at the end of their life. In comparison to CCR surface impoundments, CCR landfills typically have greater flexibility under the CCR Rule for operations and beneficial use purposes and may not have defined closure dates which results in some of these closures extending further into the future. However, as coal burning plants continue to shudder, the closure of these landfills is rapidly approaching. This presentation will focus on the challenging site conditions, site specific considerations and potential solutions when designing and constructing the landfill …

Engineering Granulometry To Optimize Performance Of Reclaimed Ash, Russell Hill

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

As utility production of fresh fly ash declines, the concrete industry is turning to reclaimed and beneficiated materials to maintain reliable SCM supply. This transition creates an opportunity not only to secure volumes but to engineer improved performance. The ReCinis™ beneficiation process enables this by providing controls that tune particle-size distribution (PSD), sphericity, packing behavior, surface area, and surface activation. Processing trials show that blends combining fine ground fractions with spherical, broad-graded hydrocyclone overflow (OF) materials can balance high reactivity with favorable rheology. Mechanochemical activation during grinding appears to increase reactivity beyond what surface-area metrics alone predict, likely through removal …

Alternative Cover Permitting And The Ccr Rule, Evan Andrews, Victor Damasceno

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Federal rules (40 CFR Parts 9, 257 and 261) that regulate coal combustion residuals (CCR) created a significant demand associated with closure of coal ash management and storage facilities using liner systems. Timelines associated with these facility closures combined with substantial project scale and potential for future mining /reuse has driven the need for closure systems that perform beyond the prescriptive soil / geomembrane caps outlined in the federal regulations. As outlined in section 257.102 (d)(3)(i) of the CCR Rule, the standard cover system must include an infiltration layer of at least 18 inches of earthen material and an erosion …

Sustainability And Waste Diversion At Tva Shawnee "Project Phoenix", Bryan Jacob, Shane Harris

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

An engineered turf closure system can serve as an ideal foundation for a solar energy system to be installed atop coal combustion residual (CCR) impoundments. This approach not only enables productive power generation during the post-closure period, it also preserves opportunities for recovery and beneficial use of CCR material in the future. “Project Phoenix” at TVA’s Shawnee Fossil Plant offers an illustrative example. This paper will cover the sustainability benefits of the companion ClosureTurf® and PowerCap® systems installed at that site as well as waste diversion activities undertaken during construction to recycle as much as practical and minimize waste destined …

Demystifying Large Language Models: How Ai Is Transforming Data, Compliance, And Decision-Making In Coal Ash And Environmental Management, Scott Pfeiffer

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The environmental and coal combustion residuals (CCR) industries generate vast amounts of information—from groundwater monitoring reports and RCRA documentation to closure plans and analytical data. Managing, interpreting, and communicating this information is a growing challenge for utilities, regulators, and consultants alike. Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT architecture, represent a breakthrough in how organizations can interact with their technical data. These models use deep neural networks trained on billions of words to understand, summarize, and generate language with human-like accuracy. When securely adapted for enterprise use, LLMs can automate routine reporting, extract data from technical documents, generate regulatory …

Expert Perspectives On The U.S. Coal Combustion Products Market – Now, Then, And The Future, Mark Rokoff, David Cox, Walter Lemaire, John Ward

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

This panel discussion will explore the continued evolution of the U.S. coal combustion products market, with a focus on the impacts of dynamic regulatory and market forces. Invited expert panelists will share perspectives on developments over the past several years (building on discussions from WOCA 2022 and WOCA 2024), current conditions, and expected future trends—particularly those likely to shape the market between 2026 and 2030. The discussion will address the interrelated markets for engineering, construction, and beneficiation of ash from both operating and inactive plants. Panelists will offer perspectives relevant to the full coal ash industry, from owner/operator organizations to …

Subsurface Delineation Of Coal Combustion Residuals Using Multiple Geophysical Methods, Eric Hageman, Adam Rak, Thomas Jordan, Kate Mckinley

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Geophysical techniques provide alternative methods of Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) delineation and characterization to supplement more invasive boring programs used for beneficial reuse planning. A demonstration project was designed to characterize the electromagnetic and seismic stratigraphy of CCR material and test the effectiveness of three geophysical techniques: Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI), Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) induction, and Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW). The demonstration project was completed at a dry-stack CCR unit containing a variety of CCR ash, gypsum, and thin layers of drainage aggregate (limestone). During a single-day deployment, several geophysical survey tests were conducted in specific areas of …

A Review Of Disassembly Systems For Circular Product Design, Giovanni Formentini, Joao Pj. Prioli, Junwon Ko, Buddhika M. Hapuwatte, Vincenzo Ferrero, Fazleena Badurdeen, Jeremy L. Rickli, Devarajan Ramanujan

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Circular Economy (CE) is described as a means for maintaining products and materials in circulation while regenerating nature. This shift requires considering aspects at the product design phase that were not previously prioritized. One such aspect, disassembly, is a key enabler for CE. Design for Disassembly methodologies have been deployed for several years to enhance disassembly performance. However, when CE is of interest, it is essential to consider how disassembly affects the entire product life cycle system. In this regard, this paper proposes a literature review of relevant DfD methods from a system engineering perspective to evaluate their effects on …

The Rhythm Of Renewables: Minute-By-Minute Insights From Kentucky, David S. Beyerle, Noah M. Stewart, Shaun E. Lavin, Chad C. Alkire, Heather Nikolic, Samuel Kelty, Ezekiel A. Boggs, Declan Boyle, Lawrence E. Holloway, Aron Patrick

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Kentucky’s renewable energy landscape beats with a distinct rhythm shaped by ever-changing variations in sunlight, wind, rainfall, and the ever-modernizing grid that connects them. This paper analyzes minute-by-minute performance data from seven renewable and storage assets owned and operated by the PPL Corporation in Kentucky, including hydroelectric, solar, wind, and lithium-ion battery systems. Using a full year of synchronized, high-resolution data from multiple sites in the Commonwealth, the study examines daily and seasonal capacity factor trends, explores correlations among generation types, and evaluates their alignment with utility load profiles. Our analysis found 279 hours—about 3.2% of the year—with zero renewable …

Examining The Progress In Additive Manufacturing In Supporting Lean, Green And Sustainable Manufacturing: A Systematic Review, Catherine Maware, Rumbidzai Muvunzi, Tinotenda Machingura, Ilesanmi Daniyan

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

The quest for waste reduction and the development of manufacturing processes that meet the economic, social and environmental requirements necessitate this study. Additive manufacturing is an emerging digital technology that can be used to seamlessly develop a product through material deposition in layers. The study aims to investigate the progress made in the development of additive manufacturing to support lean, green and sustainable manufacturing. The study employs a systematic literature review approach, specifically the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). A total of 158 articles identified from different academic databases that detailed empirical, conceptual and theoretical findings …

The Impact Of Dissolved Organic Matter On Photodegradation Rates, Byproduct Formations, And Degradation Pathways For Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides In Simulated River Waters, Josephus F. Borsuah, Tiffany L. Messer, Daniel D. Snow, Steven D. Comfort, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The influences of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on neonicotinoid photochemical degradation and product formation in natural waters remain unclear, potentially impacting the sustainability of river systems. Therefore, our overall objective was to investigate the photodegradation mechanisms and phototransformation byproducts of two neonicotinoid pesticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, under simulated sunlight at the microcosm scale, to assess the implications of DOM for insecticide degradation in rivers. Direct and indirect photolysis were investigated using twelve water matrices to identify possible reaction pathways with two DOM sources and three quenching agents. Imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and potential degradants were measured, and reaction pathways identified. The photodegradation …

Industrial Hemp Production And Potential Risks In Kentucky, Hoyeon Jeong

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Since the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2014 and 2018 legalized Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa. L), interest in grain, fiber, and floral hemp production has seen growing pains. As an emerging crop, there is a research gap in the impact of weather and agronomic conditions on hemp production including THC (Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol) and pollen drift as risks in hemp cultivation. The first essay aims to measure the impact of weather and agronomic factors on hemp grain, fiber, and floral yields in Kentucky using a yield-weather model with information on field locations. The results show that heat conditions during the growing …

A Praxis Towards Social Change Based On Foucault's Conceptualization Of Experience As Relational, Lila Maureen Wakeman

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This project develops a praxis towards social change based on the works of Michel Foucault. It first establishes Foucault’s philosophical assumptions, methods, and political goal of countering “objectivizing” modern Western social forces. It then draws on sources from the three major phases of Foucault’s career to trace his development of a general conceptualization of experience as relational, or as non-exhaustively co-constituted by and through three indispensable kinds of social forces: knowledge, power, and ethics. It then evaluates implications of Foucauldian experience for efforts towards social change to conceptualize a general Foucauldian praxis towards social change. The praxis aims to affect …

Self-Reported Consumption Of Bottled Water V. Tap Water In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Jason W. Marion

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Quantitative studies on drinking water perceptions in Appalachia are limited. High-profile water infrastructure failures in the U.S. and Eastern Kentucky, coupled with human-made and natural disasters in the Appalachian Region, have likely impacted opinions regarding tap water.

Purpose: To use existing unexplored data to describe baseline tap water v. bottled water consumption in Kentucky.

Methods: Telephone-based cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2013 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) directed by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Among many items in KHIP, self-reported consumption of bottled water over tap water, reasons for bottled water use, and demographic data were obtained. …

Process Intensification Strategies For Green Solvent Mediated Biomass Pretreatment, Ahamed Ullah, Yuxuan Zhang, Can Liu, Qi Qiao, Qing Shao, Jian Shi

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Demonstrated to be highly effective for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment, deep eutectic solvent (DES) has attracted increasing attention owing to its advantages of simple synthesis, relatively low chemical cost, and better biocompatibility as compared to certain ionic liquids. Here we provide a critical review of the status of the design/selection of DES for the pretreatment of biomass feedstocks with an emphasis on the process intensification strategies: 1) integration of microwave, ultrasound, and high solid extrusion for pretreating biomass, 2) one-pot DES pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation, 3) strategies for DES recycling and product recovery; and 4) recent progress on molecular simulations …

Lignin Derived Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents As Sustainable Extractants, Yuxuan Zhang, Qi Qiao, Usman Lame Abbas, Jun Liu, Yi Zheng, Christopher Jones, Qing Shao, Jian Shi

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Solvent innovation has become a central task for improving the sustainability of chemical processes1. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic and volatile organic solvents. One appealing aspect for DESs is that they can be synthesized using naturally occurring compounds from biomass. Herein, we prepared novel hydrophobic DESs based on lignin derivatives and characterized their physicochemical properties including density, viscosity, and thermal behavior. The results showed that five lignin-derived hydrophobic DESs made from menthol, thymol, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were promising as green solvents due to their low viscosities and environmentally friendly constituents. To evaluate the potential application …

Evaluating The Sustainability Of Paper And Plastic Substitute Material Limex, E.-Lexus Thornton, Avery Hartley, Daniel Caudill, Martin Gamesu, Julius M. Schoop, Fazleena Badurdeen

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

With the increasing decline in the environment and natural resources it is important to find new ways in which manufacturing can increase the sustainability of the world. This study seeks to compare LimeX, a state-of-the-art paper and plastic alternative primarily made of limestone, with conventional paper and plastic materials. For a better understanding of LimeX as a material, a brief investigation of the mechanical and chemical properties will be performed through experimentation and analysis. In addition, this paper aims to evaluate the sustainability of LimeX through the analysis of metrics relating to the triple bottom line (environmental impacts, economic impacts …

Classifying Multi-Generational Products For The Circular Economy, Buddhika M. Hapuwatte, Fazleena Badurdeen, I. S. Jawahir

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

Manufacturers are increasingly interested in the circular economy (CE) and potential of circular productions. To fully utilize CE, better guidance at the design stage is needed to establish closed-loop flows and prioritize higher value retaining end-of-use (EoU) practices such as reuse and remanufacture (i.e., parts harvesting). Intergenerational commonality (IC) is a method to increase EoU parts harvesting. However, closed-loop parts harvesting potential depends on the compatible timing between design generations’ production and EoU returns curves. Therefore, in this paper, we explore an approach to make an initial assessment on where IC as a closed-loop CE strategy can produce most benefit, …

Removal Of Selenium And Heavy Metals From Coal Combustion Residuals Wastewater Using Surface Modified Iron Based Media, Madan Tandukar, Alex Korff, Andrew Vincent, Chris Hardin

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

No abstract provided.