Comments on: Coal secrecy: Which ash dams are ‘high hazard’? http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/ Just another The other blogs! weblog Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:52:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: The BRAD BLOG : 'Green News Report' - June 16, 2009 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/comment-page-1/#comment-15791 The BRAD BLOG : 'Green News Report' - June 16, 2009 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:09:31 +0000 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/#comment-15791 [...] Coal secrecy: Which ash dams are ‘high hazard’? [...] [...] Coal secrecy: Which ash dams are ‘high hazard’? [...]

]]> By: darrell e sevy http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/comment-page-1/#comment-15790 darrell e sevy Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/#comment-15790 It is my belief that if the countrys, coal producers and coal consumers could wait a few years coal could be removed from beneath the mountaintops without removing the mountaintops. American technology is proceeding at a rapid pace and has already put into use auger systems that can, on a limited basis,remove coal from under overburden without removing more overburden. I can only imagine ,square augers or a type of longwall mining controlled from the outside. Don't even think of underground burning at this time. To remotely mine our coal would certainly greatly reduce the great damage to our streams and rivers. Let us not allow simple human greed to preceed good common sense. The first step would be to inforce our surface mining laws.Other steps would include restoration of a lot of the damage already done. I do fully realize that we need our coal and all the good it has done and will continue to do. Coal is still "King" and will remain so if we insist on a proper method of removal. Not only should coal be mined responsibly but it must also be used responsibly.. I was born and raised in West Virginia and have maintained close ties with the beautiful Mountain state. West virginia is beautiful except where man has made it ugly' sincerely Darrell Sevy It is my belief that if the countrys, coal producers and coal consumers could wait a few years coal could be removed from beneath the mountaintops without removing the mountaintops.
American technology is proceeding at a rapid pace and has already put into use auger systems that can, on a limited basis,remove coal from under overburden without removing more overburden. I can only imagine ,square augers or a type of longwall mining controlled from the outside. Don’t even think of underground burning at this time.
To remotely mine our coal would certainly greatly reduce the great damage to our streams and rivers.

Let us not allow simple human greed to preceed good common sense. The first step would be to inforce our surface mining laws.Other steps would include restoration of a lot of the damage already done.
I do fully realize that we need our coal and all the good it has done and will continue to do. Coal is still “King” and will remain so if we insist on a proper method of removal.
Not only should coal be mined responsibly but it must also be used responsibly..
I was born and raised in West Virginia and have maintained close ties with the beautiful Mountain state. West virginia is beautiful except where man has made it ugly’
sincerely Darrell Sevy

]]> By: rhmooney3 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/comment-page-1/#comment-15789 rhmooney3 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:06:04 +0000 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/#comment-15789 Cindy, Yes, BUT the issue should all high hazard structures and all impoundments being in compliance. (Note: high-hazard has nothing to do with what's behind the dam -- coal waste slurry is not the same issue.) Being in the high-hazard category doesn't mean the structure is a problem or not incompliance. The problem is structures in non-compliance -- not just high-hazard structures in non-compliance. Same goes for stream buffer zones, returning Approxminate Orginal Contour and/or alternative post-mining landuse approvals -- these reguirements apply to all coal mines, not just those mines called Mountain Top Removals. To me, it's just plain discrimination to do selective enforcement on only certain types of mines and/or impoundments. P.S. 13 Feb 2009 -- Vicksburg, Miss. -- The 2007 National Inventory of Dams (NID) database is now available at https://nid.usace.army.mil. The NID contains information on approximately 82,000 dams throughout the United States. http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/pls/erdcpub/www_welcome.navigation_page?tmp_next_page=5658057 Cindy,

Yes, BUT the issue should all high hazard structures and all impoundments being in compliance. (Note: high-hazard has nothing to do with what’s behind the dam — coal waste slurry is not the same issue.)

Being in the high-hazard category doesn’t mean the structure is a problem or not incompliance.

The problem is structures in non-compliance — not just high-hazard structures in non-compliance.

Same goes for stream buffer zones, returning Approxminate Orginal Contour and/or alternative post-mining landuse approvals — these reguirements apply to all coal mines, not just those mines called Mountain Top Removals.

To me, it’s just plain discrimination to do selective enforcement on only certain types of mines and/or impoundments.

P.S.
13 Feb 2009 — Vicksburg, Miss. — The 2007 National Inventory of Dams (NID) database is now available at https://nid.usace.army.mil. The NID contains information on approximately 82,000 dams throughout the United States.
http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/pls/erdcpub/www_welcome.navigation_page?tmp_next_page=5658057

]]> By: Cindy Rank http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/comment-page-1/#comment-15788 Cindy Rank Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:28:30 +0000 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/#comment-15788 'rhmooney3' is absolutely correct in saying all "high hazard" impoundments are of equal concern -- be they coal SLURRY(waste from the washing of coal at preparation plants) impoundments or coal ASH (waste from the burning of coal at power plants) impoundments. However, he seems to have missed the focus of this blog entry which was Senator Boxer's attempt to have EPA make public the location of the 44 coal ASH impoundments classified as "high hazard." To see a list of the many coal SLURRY impoundments in WV and surrounding states and to review the more detailed information about the precise location, classification, size and capacity of each .... as well as read the emergency evaculation plans if available, one should really take a few moments to visit Wheeling Jesuit University's Coal Impoundment Location and Information System website at: http://www.coalimpoundment.org/default.asp ‘rhmooney3′ is absolutely correct in saying all “high hazard” impoundments are of equal concern — be they coal SLURRY(waste from the washing of coal at preparation plants) impoundments or coal ASH (waste from the burning of coal at power plants) impoundments.

However, he seems to have missed the focus of this blog entry which was Senator Boxer’s attempt to have EPA make public the location of the 44 coal ASH impoundments classified as “high hazard.”

To see a list of the many coal SLURRY impoundments in WV and surrounding states and to review the more detailed information about the precise location, classification, size and capacity of each …. as well as read the emergency evaculation plans if available, one should really take a few moments to visit Wheeling Jesuit University’s Coal Impoundment Location and Information System website at:
http://www.coalimpoundment.org/default.asp

]]> By: rhmooney3 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/comment-page-1/#comment-15787 rhmooney3 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:06:27 +0000 http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/15/coal-secrecy-which-ash-dams-are-high-hazard/#comment-15787 ALL high-harzard impoundments are of equal concern -- slurry ones should not be solely focused upon. Professional engineers are responsible pursuant to their codes of ethics to provide additional assurances for high-hazard structures. Among those additional assurances, in addition to more frequent inspections and safety certifications, is that Emergency Action Plans exist -- these can be prepared by others, but the responsible professional engineer is to make sure of it. As this graphic shows, that is often not done: High Hazard Dams in US with Emergency Action Plans http://www.swivel.com/graphs/show/27576300 The final responsibity resides with FEMA, which is known for doing a heck of a job (though its new director is extremely top-notch). http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3122 As is said in Florida: DEP -- don't expect protection ALL high-harzard impoundments are of equal concern — slurry ones should not be solely focused upon.

Professional engineers are responsible pursuant to their codes of ethics to provide additional assurances for high-hazard structures.

Among those additional assurances, in addition to more frequent inspections and safety certifications, is that Emergency Action Plans exist — these can be prepared by others, but the responsible professional engineer is to make sure of it.

As this graphic shows, that is often not done:
High Hazard Dams in US with Emergency Action Plans
http://www.swivel.com/graphs/show/27576300

The final responsibity resides with FEMA, which is known for doing a heck of a job (though its new director is extremely top-notch). http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3122

As is said in Florida: DEP — don’t expect protection

]]>