EN22 - Total weight of waste by type and disposal method

AEP manages its waste via recycling, reusing or properly disposing, with the intention of causing no harm to the environment.  We do not track the total weight of the general refuse but we do track special waste streams, such as hazardous wastes, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and other products that have serious environmental consequences if not properly disposed. 

These numbers were gathered from 77 individuals across the system and several of our vendors.  We are confident that these numbers are close to actuals, but cannot say that they represent every pound / gallon of material disposed and / or recycled.

Hazardous Wastes:  See Question EN24
     
We also track the amount of coal combustion products that cannot be used beneficially and that have to be disposed.  In 2006 (the most recent data we have available at this time), we beneficially reused over 3 million tons, or over 36% of the total generated, of CCB (fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, FGD material and gypsum). 

Each year AEP reports to the USEPA, our transfers and releases off-site of “toxic chemicals”.  For AEP, this report typically includes metals found in ash, emissions and landfilled wastes, ammonia and acids.  Our Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) report is available on our web site. 

AEP received one enforcement action in 2007 related to construction of a landfill at its Mountaineer Plant. There was no fine associated with the Mountaineer enforcement action.  This was the result of issues we experienced the previous year at both the Mountaineer and Amos plants during construction in which runoff carried soil and fly ash from the plants into nearby waterways and neighboring properties.  In addition, we self-reported an error we found in how material had been placed in the Conesville plant and took actions to correct it.  As a result of these landfill issues, we conducted a root cause analysis of all three circumstances to identify any common aspects and what we needed to do to prevent it from happening again.  This included changing some of our processes and procedures for future landfill construction, which we have already put into place.

PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemicals, a mixture of chlorinated hydrocarbons first produced commercially in the United States in 1929.  PCBs were manufactured for use in various industrial applications - including as dielectric fluids for transformers, capacitors and other electrical equipment - because of their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point and electrical insulating properties.  Concern over PCB toxicity and persistence in the environment led Congress to enact the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 1976 which governs PCB use authorizations, servicing conditions, storage, cleanup and disposal of PCBs.  The EPA has classified PCBs as a probable human carcinogen.

AEP goes beyond the level of regulatory compliance which allows continued use of PCB in certain non-leaking applications with our continued and determined efforts to voluntarily eliminate PCB use through planned phase-outs, normal equipment retirement or service/repair.

The AEP plan is to replace all precipitator transformer/rectifier (T/R) sets that contain PCB fluid over the next decade at our power plants.  We will do this by replacing the PCB sets with non-PCB fluid sets during planned outages at the power plants, when maintenance work is normally done.  Currently, there are 427 PCB T/R sets to replace (these are the only known PCB transformers remaining in the AEP system).  AEP also has approximately 435 PCB capacitors currently in service at a handful of our electrical substations.  Plans are being designed and implemented to remove these remaining PCB capacitors as soon as possible.

During 2007, AEP disposed / recycled nearly 34,000 pieces of dielectric material filled electrical equipment.  Only 285 of these items were found to contain PCBs at 500 ppm or greater. 

During all property transactions involving facilities / sites where PCBs were known or could be assumed to have been in use, AEP conducts site characterization sampling prior to moving forward to determine if any PCB contamination exists on the property.  In 2007, AEP conducted 27 site assessments on such properties that resulted in 8 PCB remediation waste projects that were successfully planned, conducted and completed.

Coal ash
AEP consumes an estimated 76 million tons of coal per year, generating significant quantities of byproducts that have to be recycled or disposed.  We are a member of the Coal Combustion Products Partnership, which promotes the beneficial use of coal combustion products and the environmental benefits that result from their use.  For example, some FGD byproducts can be used to treat acid mine drainage and return highwalls to pre-mined condition, which will be safer (because it eliminates vertical drop).  We are working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ to reclaim a 1950s-vintage surface mine that was abandoned, leaving behind acid mine drainage and a dangerous 100-foot highwall.  This project uses coal combustion products (CCPs) from AEP’s Conesville plant.  The acid mine drainage is a liability for AEP and while there are costs associated with this reclamation project, it is resulting in significant long-term savings compare to the cost for perpetually treating the runoff.  Another benefit is the improved water quality of nearby Wills Creek.  We recently met with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and got permission to continue the project for another six months.  After that we intend to apply for additional, longer-term approvals in order to continue.

In 2006 (the most recent complete data we have), AEP generated nearly 8.4 million tons of coal ash products.  Use of CCPs in 2006 resulted in approximately $18.6 million in avoided costs that would otherwise have been incurred to build and operate landfills for these byproducts.  These savings fluctuate annually.   More information about CCPs and their uses.