Recent Events Trigger Regulatory Action

Recently, fly ash impoundment sites have come under fire. Fly ash, the fine residue remaining when coal is burned to produce electricity, is often stored in man-made impoundments or lagoons to control airborne release. Although this method of ash disposal has been used successfully for nearly a century, a recent impoundment dike/dam failure in Tennessee has prompted federal and state environmental agencies to require safety audits of fly ash impoundments throughout the country. The agencies are considering whether more stringent regulation of these facilities is necessary.

At GAI, we’ve been working for over 50 years with our electric utility clients to design structurally stable, environmentally secure fly ash disposal facilities. We have designed numerous dams and have repaired dams that were below design standards. We pioneered the design of fly ash landfills and regularly assist our electric utility clients in developing beneficial uses for their ash. And we continue to provide cost-effective solutions ranging from environmental compliance to impoundment design and construction. Our team of professional geotechnical and water resources engineers is available immediately to conduct safety audits on existing dams and dikes, install monitoring instrumentation, provide peer review of designs, and offer our professional opinion on the structural stability of your fly ash impoundment site.

The GAI team is ready to assist today’s coal-fired electric power industry in meeting its many technological and regulatory challenges. For more information, please contact Mr. Barry Newman at 412.476.2000.