EPA and City of Springfield, Illinois, Reach Agreement on Coal Ash
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an agreement with the city of Springfield, Illinois, to ensure the City Water, Light and Power coal-fired power plant fully complies with the agency’s coal combustion residual program.
The agreement includes requirements to address and correct previous coal ash disposal issues at two ponds, known as surface impoundments, and a landfill near Lake Springfield and Sugar Creek that were used to store and dispose coal ash. The city stopped using the two ponds in October 2023. The agreement requires the city to:
- Expand and correct its groundwater monitoring program.
- Address potential releases of heavy metals associated with coal ash material.
- Analyze the structural stability of the surface impoundments before closing them in accordance with federal CCR rules.
The coal-fired power plant began operations in 1968 with one combustion unit, adding three more units over the years until 2009. The city retired two units in 2020 and one in 2022. The remaining combustion unit continues to operate.
For more information on coal ash and the agency’s CCR program activities, please visit EPA’s Coal Ash website.