Coal Plant Waste is an above-ground landfill that houses the toxic residue of the last generation’s power production.
It’s called the South Byproduct Storage Area a 45-acre, 30-foot tall, grass-covered mound with commanding views of Lake Parker.
The landfill contains the byproducts of four decades of coal combustion, including fly ash, bottom ash, and synthetic gypsum, and stabilized flue gas desulfurization.
The final step is capping the landfill and sealing away its contents under a process prescribed by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to ensure no pollutants seep into the aquifer and drinking water supplies.
The containment and cleanup come with a $10.7 million price tag. But because the site is jointly owned with the Orlando Utility Commission, Lakeland Electric will only pay 60% of the cost — about $6.5 million. OUC will pay the other 40%.
In January 2022, the commission hired Geosyntec Consultants Inc. to create engineering designs for the closure. The plans, which were submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, call for:
- Removing the top two to three feet of dirt.
- Regarding the area.
- Installing vents for passive gas collection.
- Covering the mound with a 40-millimeter textured membrane barrier and geocomposite drainage layer.
- Adding 18 inches of fill dirt and 6 inches of topsoil.
- Constructing berms, channels, and culverts for stormwater management.
- And laying 220,200 cubic yards of sod.
Mayor Bill Mutz said the city has a responsibility to future generations to ensure the safety of the site.
“This is 45 acres of space that has to be sealed and has to be maintained, that has liability into the future,” Mutz said.
The commission approved paying Geosyntec $313,800 to monitor the project, making sure the final barrier meets all state and federal requirements and certifying the work in a report for the FDEP. The sum is included in Lakeland Electric’s fiscal year 2024 budget.