Santee Cooper says an overtopping of an ash pond at Grainger Generating Station is expected and they don’t expect any significant environmental impacts.
“Based on river projections, Santee Cooper is expecting an overtopping of Grainger ash pond No. 1 from the Waccamaw River before dawn Saturday morning,” a press release from Santee Cooper says. “There is no significant environmental impact expected at this time, due to actions Santee Cooper has already taken in the pond.”
According to the release, over the past week, Santee Cooper crews have pumped water into the ash pond “to balance the rising river levels” and engineers “believe this action means the structural integrity of the submerged dike will likely not be compromised.”
Santee Cooper also says in the release they have excavated nearly all of the ash from pond one “in an effort that began in 2014 and was on track to be complete in both ash ponds onsite within a few months.”
““Santee Cooper will be monitoring the dike throughout the night and is prepared to make all appropriate notifications once it occurs,” Jim Brodgon, interim president and CEO, said in the press release. “
“The second ash pond at the site has additional protection from the rising river, provided by an AquaDam, silt fencing and floating environmental containment boom that Santee Cooper has placed over the past week,” states the release. “Although most of the ash in pond 2 also has been excavated, an estimated 200,000 tons remain in a corner farthest away from the river.”
Santee Cooper announced installation of an AquaDam around ash pond two on Wednesday in a press release, saying, in part, “once placed and inflated with water, the dam will add 30 inches to the top of the dike.”
