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Santee Cooper reports breach in former ash pond

Staff Report //September 9, 2019//

Santee Cooper reports breach in former ash pond

Staff Report //September 9, 2019//

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Santee Cooper reported a breach in a former ash pond at the former Grainger Generating Station in Conway, but said no environmental impact is expected.

Pond 1 is clean of ash and clean of contact soil below the ash, the utility said in a news release. This weekend, the dike breached and water from the elevated Waccamaw River filled the pond, but a follow-up inspection found no issues, according to the release.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, local government officials, the Waccamaw riverkeeper and downstream water users were notified of the breach.

Santee Cooper began excavating the two Grainger ponds, which were used to store coal ash produced in generating electricity, in 2014. The Grainger station is closed, and the utility completed removal of ash and contact soil in Pond 1 earlier this year.

Pond 2 is not connected to Pond 1 and was not affected by the breach, the utility said. All the stored ash and most of the contact soil in Pond 2 has been excavated.

As the Waccamaw recedes following heavy rainfall from Hurricane Dorian, Santee Cooper personnel are onsite to monitor conditions. Water testing is underway, and the utility is working to contain any sediment and debris in the pond.

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