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Run
Impoundment violated State and Federal environmental laws. The leaks from the Impoundment allowed boron, manganese, sulfates, arsenic, and other pollutants to discharge into local water sources. On day 59 of a 60 day notice of intent to sue waiting period, the PADEP filed the first ever state lawsuit for a coal ash disposal site. This state action was taken against FirstEnergy because the Little Blue Run Impoundment caused a potential "imminent and substantial endangerment" to human health and the environment. Simultaneously the PADEP filed its lawsuit and a consent decree in federal court seeking the closure of the Little Blue Run Coal Ash Impoundment. The consent decree "The consent decree requires First Energy to submit a plan to close the plant by the end of 2016. The company will also have to pay a fine of $ 800,000, supply 21 households with hook-ups to municipal water systems, and conduct an environmental impact study on the area." FirstEnergy is required to clean up the site by 2031, but in April 2014, FirstEnergy agreed to have the site cleaned by 2028. FirstEnergy is required to cover the ash with two layers of impermeable "geotextile" sheeting to keep unhealthy chemicals from entering the local groundwater, it must monitor noise, odors and particulate emissions, conduct quarterly reconnaissance of contaminated water seepage from the lake and take corrective actions when necessary. According to the PADEP, FirstEnergy is also required to monitor the site "for as long as environmental problems remain at the site."
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196:, a publicly traded company with assets worth $ 48 billion in 2010. Before Little Blue Run Lake was created, the power company told local residents that the project would create a local recreational and boating area. The lake covers 1,900 acres and the waste in the lake is prevented from escaping thanks to a 400-foot tall, 2,200-foot wide rock-and-earth
200:. The dam containing Little Blue Run Lake has been given a designation of "high hazard", meaning, there would be harm or loss of life if the structure were to fail. Some of the natural valleys in the area were filled with a coal ash slurry and held in place by one of the nation's largest high hazard dams.
238:
The Little Blue Run Coal Ash
Impoundment is unlined and has over time leaked pollution into the local ground and surface water, which local families rely on for consumption, cooking, and bathing. Some local residents worry for their health because of this pollution. In addition to the water concerns,
259:
Numerous lawsuits regarding Little Blue Run Lake have been filed against FirstEnergy. In one action, a notice of intent to sue letter was filed by The
Environmental Integrity Project and Public Justice on May 30, 2012. The notice of Intent alleged that toxic pollution and leaks from the Little Blue
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into local waterways and groundwater systems. The dispute with the
Pennsylvania residents, a minority of the parties who claim to have been affected, was settled out of court in February 2015. The terms of the settlement were undisclosed.
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Another lawsuit was filed in
Federal Court by 15 Beaver County, Pennsylvania residents and 36 West Virginia residents who accused FirstEnergy of contaminating groundwater and leaking hazardous waste, including
580:"Fed Up Local Citizens Notify Nation's Largest Ash Dump of Intent to Sue for Groundwater Contamination, Toxic Discharges that Violate Federal and State Law | Environmental Integrity Project"
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into the body of water. Several court cases have been brought against the company as a result of the damage caused by the company's practices at the site.
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231:(PADEP) estimates that if the dam failed it would affect 50,000 people and has mandated that coal ash cannot be added to the lake after 2016. In 2015,
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The lake contains 20 billion gallons of coal ash and smokestack scrubber waste. The northern coast of the lake is only a few hundred meters from the
605:"Groups Support Decision By PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Requiring Little Blue Run Coal Ash Dump Closure | Environmental Integrity Project"
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As a result of settling the lawsuit, FirstEnergy began disposing the byproduct (through the process of
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was piped into the lake. This same coal slurry is piped into the lake via a seven-mile long pipeline.
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families living near the site worry about toxic dust and complain of a strong rotten egg smell from
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reported that dangerous pollutants were leaking from the body of water into the local community.
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367:"Little Blue Run coal ash site to close sooner; Plant owner must contain pollution"
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482:"FirstEnergy, Beaver County residents reach agreement in Little Blue Run lawsuit"
400:"Brooks Mountcastle: New coal-ash rule doesn't do enough to protect communities"
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224:, which is the drinking water source for more than three million people.
682:"New facility at Bruce Mansfield power plant to process coal byproduct"
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owns the site, located in
Western Pennsylvania and parts of the
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Artificial lake in
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, United States
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502:"A History Of Flue Gas Desulfurization Systems Since 1850".
630:"DEP Orders Shut Down of Country's Largest Coal Ash Pond"
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555:"ATSDR - ToxFAQs™: Hydrogen Sulfide / Carbonyl Sulfide"
530:"Ohio River Facts • Education • Ohio River Foundation"
453:"'High hazard' ash basin in Beaver County called safe"
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Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection
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656:"Bruce Mansfield coal ash headed to West Virginia"
738:Bodies of water of Hancock County, West Virginia
504:Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association
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325:"Toxic Waste Spill in North Carolina: Coal Ash"
728:Bodies of water of Beaver County, Pennsylvania
184:was completed in 1975 and is located in both
168:, and has disposed of billions of gallons of
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33:NASA image of Little Blue Run from 2002
398:Mountcastle, Brooks (March 31, 2015).
733:Artificial lakes of the United States
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480:Bowling, Brian (February 9, 2015).
166:Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
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680:Taube, David (November 8, 2015).
654:Litvak, Anya (December 1, 2016).
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516:10.1080/00022470.1977.10470518
273:Marshall County, West Virginia
160:impound in the United States.
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190:Hancock County, West Virginia
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365:Hopey, Don (April 3, 2014).
267:) in a lined impoundment at
255:Lawsuits against FirstEnergy
718:Reservoirs in West Virginia
206:Bruce Mansfield Power Plant
186:Beaver County, Pennsylvania
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609:environmentalintegrity.org
584:environmentalintegrity.org
510:(10): 957. October 1977.
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634:StateImpact Pennsylvania
427:"A debate over disposal"
660:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
372:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
723:Lakes of Pennsylvania
216:Toxic waste and risks
107:40.62556°N 80.51306°W
534:www.ohioriverfdn.org
431:old.post-gazette.com
150:Little Blue Run Lake
58:Little Blue Run Lake
22:Little Blue Run Lake
333:. February 19, 2015
112:40.62556; -80.51306
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713:FirstEnergy
639:October 28,
614:October 28,
589:October 28,
564:October 28,
539:October 28,
462:October 28,
436:October 28,
271:'s mine in
202:Coal slurry
194:FirstEnergy
176:Description
162:FirstEnergy
110: /
85:Coordinates
707:Categories
691:August 18,
665:August 18,
308:References
265:dewatering
222:Ohio River
170:coal waste
98:80°30′47″W
95:40°37′32″N
297:magnesium
233:Vice News
124:Lake type
487:April 2,
411:April 2,
378:April 2,
337:April 2,
301:chloride
285:sulfates
158:coal ash
70:Location
293:calcium
281:arsenic
289:sodium
204:from
136:Basin
693:2019
667:2019
641:2016
616:2016
591:2016
566:2016
541:2016
489:2015
464:2016
438:2016
413:2015
380:2015
339:2015
330:Vice
299:and
227:The
188:and
180:The
512:doi
251:).
208:in
198:dam
152:or
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
