Coal Ash Erosion & Dust Control

Success Stories

Coal Ash Erosion & Dust Control
EarthGuard® Liquid™ Case Study

Location: Maryland

When a Maryland power utility began decommissioning a coal ash facility, it needed to minimize the ash carried away by stormwater and wind.

The Challenge: To temporarily control ash erosion during excavation and ash removal, the contractor found what they thought was the answer: a traditional dust control product, which they assumed would do the job by creating a crust layer on the surface of the disturbed ash.

There was just one problem — and it was a big one: dust control products effectively control wind erosion, but they quickly dissipate and wear out during rain events. In this case, winter had set in and the site was experiencing frequent precipitation. The contractor needed a product that could handle wind and rain. More importantly, they needed a product that could keep constituent loading down in the effluent stormwater coming off the disturbed areas.

The Solution: LSC Environmental Products had an answer — and proof that it would work. They recommended a solution of EarthGuard® Liquid™ at a 5 gal/ac application rate. In addition to preventing wind erosion, EarthGuard’s highly effective flocculating science stops coal ash from being removed by stormwater, and its application is much less labor intensive and impactful on application equipment.

The Proof: LSC provided a demo to prove EarthGuard’s effectiveness. A sample of bottom ash was placed in a small demo unit that simulates the flow of stormwater as it passes over coal ash. Two plots were placed on a 3:1 slope; one plot was treated with EarthGuard®, while the other was simply compacted to simulate existing site conditions. Fresh water was pumped onto each plot until the collection vessels were filled with effluent runoff (approximately 4.7 inches of water spread over the entire plot area). The result? Effluent water flowing off the EarthGuard®-treated plot was clean, while the flow coming off the untreated plot was loaded with significant ash. A sheen on top of the water could also be seen in the water collected from the coal ash plot; no sheen was visible in the water from the treated side.

The contractor was pleased with the results, and chose EarthGuard® instead of a traditional dust control product.