Plan Now to Attend ACAA Summer Meeting
The American Coal Ash Association summer meeting will be held June 19-20 at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Information about the meeting is now available on the ACAA website here. Additional information about the program will be added as the meeting date draws near.
Discounted room reservations should be made before May 30 by clicking here. Online meeting registration is available through June 13 on the ACAA website.
ACAA Completes Survey of International Coal Ash Trade
In February, the American Coal Ash Association conducted an informal survey of marketers, utilities and others to determine the approximate value and volume of U.S. international trade in selected Coal Combustion Products (fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag and cenospheres). Based on survey responses, ACAA estimates as much as $68 million is generated by the import or export of these four CCPs (not including transportation costs).
Data is being compiled by ACAA and other members of the World Wide Coal Combustion Products Network (WWCCPN) to support a petition to the World Customs Organization to create a “product” category for these CCPs, replacing the current “waste” category used by the WCO. The WCO requires that any commodity demonstrate at least $50 million in international trade to be classified as a product.
According to the survey, fly ash exports are estimated to be as high 470,000 tons and imports of about 75,000 tons, for a total value of nearly $20 million based on a nominal value of $40 per ton (using the American Road and Transportation Builders Association report value published in September 2011.)
Bottom ash exports were estimated to be approximately 30,000 tons and $30,000. Cenospheres exports are estimated to be as high as 20,000 tons with imports of roughly 12,500 tons for a total estimated value of more than $48 million using a nominal value of $0.75 per pound.
ACAA realizes the value and volumes can vary widely between years, but added to other data collected by WWCCPN members, the Association believes the $50 million target can be easily achieved in the petition to the WCO.
Educational Foundation Helps Fund FGD Study
The directors of the American Coal Ash Association Educational Foundation have awarded $80,000 to a study of flue gas desulphurization materials to be conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute. Other contributors to the study include EPRI and a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Educational Foundation’s contribution will be paid out over four years.
Big Month for EPA Activity Related to Coal
It’s not exactly coal ash, but several notable developments related to regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have hit the news recently.
Two different courts overturned EPA actions they found to be over-reaching. In a proceeding under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that landowners have the right to sue EPA over federal compliance orders. In another case, a U.S. District Judge in Washington DC said EPA resorted to “magical thinking” to grant itself broad new authority to revoke coal mining permits that had already been issued.
Meanwhile, EPA moved forward on proposing more regulations to restrict emissions of greenhouse gases from new coal-fueled power plants. Read stories about that controversial regulatory action here and here.
Coal Ash in the News
A new “Sustainable Concrete Pavement Manual” has been developed by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center. It provides a comprehensive discussion of pavement sustainability concepts and of recommended practices for maximizing the sustainability of concrete pavements – including the use of coal fly ash. You can download it here for free.
Green Builder Magazine recently published a lengthy article on the sustainability advantages of using coal fly ash while addressing the controversy that has been created by EPA’s current coal ash disposal rulemaking. See here.
A rather comprehensive summary of that EPA rulemaking was published in a paint and coatings industry publication here.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources concluded that failure to line a pond at a construction site was a significant factor leading to the collapse of a bluff last October which released coal ash placed behind the bluff in the 1950s. See here.
Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have commenced a series of workshops on restoring the river system affected by the 2008 Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill. The Knoxville News Sentinel has the story here.
A New Mexico coal miner has entered into a settlement with the Sierra Club over mine placement of coal ash. BHP Billiton said it does not believe coal ash is contaminating any groundwater, but agreed to make certain improvements to the mine “…that would augment the current system and add value and functionality.” The Farmington Daily Times has the story here.
U.S. Representative David McKinley is aggressively working to include his coal ash legislation – the “Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act” – in the Transportation Bill now under consideration by Congress. See an article on his efforts here. (The Senate has already passed a new Transportation Bill. Both the Senate and House this week approved a 90-day extension of current transportation programs while the House continues work on its permanent bill.)
An “indie journalist” is trying to raise $75,000 on the Internet to fund her production of a book and interactive website about coal ash. To see the plea – which includes phrases like “Coal ash is full of heavy, often toxic metals like arsenic, hexavalent chromium, selenium and more.” – click here.
Spring Time is Meetings Time
There are plenty of opportunities to show support for Coal Combustion Products at meetings and workshops over the next few months, including:
The Industrial Resources Council is presenting a workshop on the use of industrial materials in construction projects April 11, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ben Franklin of ACAA member Headwaters Resources will represent ACAA with a presentation on coal ash. Registration is free, but required in advance. For more information, contact Teresa Bechtel at 501-682-0588.
ASTM Committee E50.03 will meet in Phoenix, Arizona, April 16-19. ACAA consultant Dave Goss has been shepherding revisions of the ASTM E2277 standard on structural fills and a ballot was recently completed on the revisions. Negative votes will be considered at the Phoenix meeting. Information about the meeting can be found here.
International Concrete Sustainability Conference will be held in Seattle, Washington, May 7-10. Led by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, this conference provides learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research, tools and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing and construction. More information is here.
14th International Conference on Alkali-Aggregate Reaction will be held in Austin, Texas, May 20-25. Approximately 140 technical papers will be presented from participants from all over the world. More information about the conference is here.
Third International Conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (SCMT3) has issued a second call for papers with a deadline for abstracts on June 29. The conference will be held August 18-22, 2013, in Kyoto, Japan. A new competition is planned for SCMT3, in which the best ideas from the submitted papers will be put forward to a panel of contractors to carry out site trials with the new technologies with the greatest potential. For more information on the conference, check here or contact ACAA Honorary Member Professor Tarun Naik, who serves as a permanent member of the organizing committee.
Welcome New Members
Magaldi Power SpA, an Associate, non-voting member is “the world’s leading specialist in dependable and environmentally friendly hot bulk materials handling, pioneering solutions for demanding problems in power plants, cement industries, and metallurgical and mining companies. Headquartered in Salerno, Italy, Magaldi Power supplies worldwide turn-key projects, as well as equipment, based on its unique know-how and expertise.” Please click here to visit the Magaldi Power website. Mario Magaldi will be ACAA’s primary point of contact from Magaldi Power SpA, and Daniele Ricci will serve as the alternate.
Clean Earth Dredging Technologies, LLC, an Associate, non-voting member is “one of the nation’s largest and most experienced processors of contaminated soil, dredge sediments and hazardous and non-hazardous waste, that maintains a tireless commitment to ensuring that every pound of material is treated and managed properly and responsibly. Approximately 98% of the material they process is beneficially reused.” Please click here to visit their website. Mr. Steven Sands will be ACAA’s primary point of contact from Clean Earth Dredging Technologies, and Kenneth Sykes will serve as the alternate.
Dynegy Corporation is a longstanding ACAA member that has appointed a new representative to the ACAA Board of Directors. Jim Nuernberger is taking over the Director position for Steve Smith, who is retiring. Congratulations Steve and welcome Jim!
The Phoenix was sent to you from the American Coal Ash Association: info@acaa-usa.org.
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Learn more about ACAA and coal combustion products, please visit: www.acaa-usa.org
The ACAA’s mission is to advance the management and use of coal combustion products in ways that are environmentally responsible, technically sound, commercially competitive, and more supportive of a sustainable global community.
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