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HOW TO MANUALS
(Updated 10/15/98)
OUTLINE
AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS
Agricultural
Uses of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum--US Environmental Protection
Agency. 2008
Land Application for Coal Combustion By-Products: Use in Agriculture
and Land Reclamation-EPRI, 1995
Manual for Applying Fluidized Bed Combustion Residue to Agricultural
Lands--Stout, W.L., et al. 1988.
DISPOSAL MANUALS
Coal Fly Ash Disposal Manual--EPRI, 1995 (3rd edition)
Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) Disposal Manual--EPRI, 1995 (4th
edition)
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Coal Combustion Waste Manual: Evaluating Impacts to Fish and
Wildlife--Soholt, L.F., et al. 1981
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Environmental Performance Assessment of Coal Combustion By-Product Use
Sites: Road Construction Applications--EPRI, 1995
Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers--American Coal Ash Association, 1995.
Use of FGD Gypsum and Bottom Ash in Roadway and Building
Construction.--EPRI, 1994.
OTHER
ABSTRACTS and LOCATION
American Coal Ash Association, 1995. Fly Ash Facts for Highway
Engineers. FHWA-SA-94-081. U.S. Dept. Of Transportation. Federal Highway Admin.
Wash. D.C. 70 p.
Coal fly ash is a coal combustion byproduct (CCB) that has numerous applications as an
engineering material; the annual production of CCB's is nearly 82 million metric tons (90
million tons). Since the first edition of Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers in 1986,
substantial information has been accumulated regarding the use of fly ash. The purpose of
this document is to provide technical information about engineering applications to
potential users of CCB's and to advance the use of CCB's in ways that are technically sound,
commercially competitive, and environmentally safe.
Ordering Info: American Coal Ash Association, 2760 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 304,
Alexandria, VA 22134-4553, (703) 317-2400, FAX (703) 317-2409, Website www.acaa-usa.org/pubs/publist.htm
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545
EPRI, 1995. Coal Ash Disposal Manual: Third Edition. EPRI
TR-104137. Electric Power Research Institute, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.
This manual presents procedures for the evaluation of the technical environmental and
economic factors involved with the disposal of coal fly ash and bottom ash. The manual has
been prepared to aid utility design personnel in the selection and location of optimal
disposal systems. Since publication of the 2nd edition in 1981, evolving
regulatory criteria and environmental issues have necessitated changes in conventional ash
management practices. Also there have been significant advances in the development of
geosynthetics, which are used in a variety of applications at ash disposal sites,
particularly in site liner and cap system applications. The 3rd edition of the
Coal Ash Disposal Manual addresses these topics and provides updated information
pertaining to ash disposal practices.
Ordering Info: EPRI Research Reports Center, Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303,
(415) 965-4081.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545
EPRI, 1995. Environmental Performance Assessment of Coal
Combustion By-Product Use Sites: Road Construction Applications. EPRI TR-105127. Electric
Power Research Institute, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304
One of the commonly reported constraints to the use of coal combustion by-products in such
projects as large volume highway construction is regulatory impediments. These
restrictions are related to the lack of data on the environmental performance and health
effects of such uses. Putting more of these by-products to use will mean significant
savings to utilities. To meet the need for more environmental data, EPRI initiated studies
in 1987 on the environmental performance of utility by-products at existing utilization
projects.
Phase I of the project involved detailed investigations at two existing ash sites (EPRI
reports EN-6532 and EN-6533). The goal of this report was to determine if any long-term
changes have occurred in soil, groundwater, or vegetation around roads, embankments, and
structural fill projects where utility coal combustion by-products have been used in
construction. Information was gathered to determine whether chemicals from the utility
by-products used in the road subgrades had impacted soils, groundwater, or vegetation. In
addition, studies of the hydro geologic conditions were made so that effective detailed
investigations could follow.
Despite certain environmental factors, all five sites performed in a similar fashion. For
example, there was only limited migration of by-product constituents into underlying soils
and a lack of clear trends from impacts on groundwater. The effects of by-product use on
vegetative uptake and growth is also similar for all of the sites, regardless of the
differences in soil pH or climate. The results of this research underscore the fact that
environmental damage from the high-volume use of coal combustion by-products can be
prevented with careful planning.
Ordering Info: EPRI Research Reports Center, Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303,
(415) 965-4081.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
EPRI, 1995. FGD By-Product Disposal Manual: Fourth Edition.
EPRI TR-104731. Electric Power Research Institute, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304
This manual presents as objective methodology for evaluating potential FGD sludge disposal
sites and design approaches. A completely updated edition, the manual provides new
information and references on existing industry disposal practices, regulatory constraints
and trends, FGD sludge properties, and waste management system costs. Specifically, the
manual offers guidelines for managing wastes from wet FGD systems, including lime,
limestone, alkaline fly ash, magnesium-enhanced, and dual-alkali systems. Waste management
subsystems addressed include transfer, storage, pretreatment/conditioning, transport, and
disposal/utilization. The manual identifies physical and chemical waste material
properties for each subsystem alternative and discusses their impact on design and
operation.
Ordering Info: EPRI Research Reports Center, Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303,
(415) 965-4081.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
EPRI, 1995. Land Application of Coal Combustion By-Products:
Use in Agriculture and Land Application. EPRI TR-103298. Electric Power Research
Institute, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.
During the past two decades, more than 20 electric utilities have shown interest in the
use of CCB's as soil amendments for agriculture and land reclamation. Research has been
conducted by the US Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Energy, Bureau of Mines and the
Tennessee Valley Authority. The types of CCB's investigated include alkaline fly ash (Class
C), weakly alkaline to acidic fly ash (Class F), bottom ash from dry bottom pulverized
coal boilers, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and gypsic sludge, and fluidized bed
combustion waste (FBCW). Applying CCB's to soils can provide several potential benefits,
such as: (1) correcting excessive soil acidity, (2) supplementing soil nutrient supplies,
(3) improving moisture retention, and (4) improving infiltration, drainage, and soil
tilth. These effects are important both to plant growth and crop production and in the
control of soil erosion by improving the physical and chemical qualitites of the plant
rooting zone.
This report is a survey of published and unpublished information derived mainly from
studies supported by electric utilities. It summarizes the chief characteristics of
CCB's as candidates for soil amendment; describes research projects and the major conclusions;
provides data that illustrate the major effects of CCB's on soil and plant responses; and
discusses the factors that have deterred the advancement of CCB utilization as soil
amendments.
A chief deterrent to the use CCB's as soil amendments is restrictive regulation, which, in
large part, resulted from inadequate or misleading data. Specifically, experiments that
utilized massive application rates of CCB's, as a means of potential disposal, yielded
results that indicated severe limitations to the use of CCB's in agriculture, due primarily
to excess boron and salinity, which caused phytotoxicity and yield reductions. Greenhouse
studies also identified these potential problems.
In contrast, results from experiments regarding the performance of CCB's as soil amendments
under field conditions, indicate very positive benefits from a range of application rates
selected to optimize agronomic response, using different crops, soils, and CCB types.
Several credible field studies clearly show that problems of excessive uptake of elements
potentially toxic to plants, animals, and humans, such as As, B, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Se, do
not occur when attention is given to the selection of CCB whose qualities and rate of
application match specific soil and plant needs based on soil testing and other agronomic
factors, such as timing of application.
Further research is needed both to better understand the nature and longevity of specific
interactions between constituents introduced by CCB additions and the soil and, how,
together, they affect plant nutrition and constituent leaching. Also, there is a need for
studies of the interactions of CCB's with waste organic materials, with which they can be
mixed to provide a fertilizer that is well balanced with respect to all essential plant
nutrients. Well-documented research is essential to receiving regulatory approval and
gaining the interest of potential users--necessary prerequisites to market development.
Research that addresses the equipment needs peculiar to the handling and spreading of
CCB's also may be needed to support the expansion of CCB utilization and land reclamation.
Ordering Info: EPRI Research Reports Center, Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303,
(415) 965-4081.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
EPRI, 1994. Use of FGD Gypsum and Bottom Ash in Roadway and
Building Construction. EPRI TR-103856 Electric Power Research Institute, 3412 Hillview
Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.
This report presents the results of a field evaluation concerning the use of FGD gypsum
and bottom ash by-products in construction of a 300-ft roadway at Texas A&M
University's Riverside Campus. The project also evaluated durability requirements for
structural-grade concrete applications. Specifically, construction involved a 7%
cement-stabilized blend of FGD gypsum and two types of bottom ash by-products. The
aggregate for this mixture was a 50/50 blend of gypsum and ash, while the ash faction was
composed of a 75/25 blend of wet bottom ash (boiler slag) and dry bottom ash. Post
construction field tests show that the integrity of the road is sound, with no signs of
incipient distress. Falling Weight Deflectometer data indicate that the road base, after
18 months of service, is still gaining in strength. This may be due to the incorporation
of bottom ash into the stabilized gypsum mixture, a process that significantly enhanced
compaction and led to a stronger road base material. In other testing, water quality
sampling and soil analysis near the job site as well as laboratory analyzes of five road
base mixtures for leachable metals, sulfur, and carbonates did not reveal any adverse
environmental impact associated with the by-product use.
Ordering Info: EPRI Research Reports Center, Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303,
(415) 965-4081.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
Soholt, L.F., et al. 1981. Coal Combustion Waste Manual: Evaluating
Impacts to Fish and Wildlife. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program,
National Power Plant Team, FWS/OBS-81/05. 150 pp.
The manual is designed to provide the reader with tools for evaluating specific situations
which may be encountered in reviewing plans for the handling and storage of coal
combustion wastes. It is designed to be used with the technical report "Handling of
Combustion and Emission - Abatement Wastes from Coal-Fired Power Plants: Implications for
Fish and Wildlife Resources,"FWS/OBS-80/33. The goal is to provide quantitative
guidelines, where possible, for evaluating the potential extent of habitat disturbance and
waste constituent dispersal. Criteria are provided for evaluating the potential for impact
from trace elements in the waste.
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
Stout, W.L., J.L. Hern, R.F. Korcak, and C.W. Carlson. 1988. Manual
for Applying Fluidized Bed Combustion Residue to Agricultural Lands. USDA Agricultural
Research Service, ARS-74, 15 pp.
Atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC) is a process that reduces sulfur emissions
from coal-fired electric-generating plants. The residue from this process is a mixture of
alkaline oxides, calcium sulfate, and coal ash constituent. Since 1976, USDA/ARS has
investigated the potential agriculture use of this residue. The investigations comprised
an extensive series of laboratory, greenhouse, field plot, and animal feeding experiments.
The best and safest use of AFBC residue in agriculture was as a substitute for lime. This
report contains guidelines for applying AFBC residue to agricultural lands.
Ordering Info: NTIS Order Desk, National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port
Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, (703) 487-4650, FAX (703) 321-8547, TDD (703) 487-4639,
RUSH ORDERS: 1-800-553-NTIS (ADDITIONAL FEE)
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Denver, CO 80202-5733, (303) 844-1436, FAX (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
Texas Coal Ash Utilization Group. 1994. Coal Combustion By-Products.
This looseleaf notebook contains a discussion of issues and regulations in relation to the
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's use of coal combustion by-products. It
includes: a 1995 position letter from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission;
statistics and discussion of CCB's in Texas; a U.S. Department of Energy report entitled,
"Barriers to the Increased Utilization of Coal Combustion/Desulfurization Byproducts
by Governmental and Commercial Sectors"; the Texas Industrial Waste Regulations
(1993); and "Texas Coal Ash Utilization Group Responses to General Land Office
Questions Regarding Coal Combustion By-Product Utilization" (June 1994).
Ordering Info:
Interlibrary Loan Request: Debbie McGinnis, Office of Surface Mining, 1999
Broadway, Suite 3320, Denver, CO 80202-5733. (303) 844-1436; fax (303) 844-1545; email: dmcginni@osmre.gov.
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