POWER October 2021 - 46

COAL POWER
2. These images show progress achieved on the Gibbons Creek power plant demolition. The image on the left is from February 2021 and the
image on the right was taken in August 2021. Courtesy: Charah Solutions Inc.
■ Proven partner who fully understands
the environmental impact of the project
and is qualified to meet the federal,
state, and local regulations for each
step of the remediation and reclamation
process.
■ Assurance that the reuse plan for the
property upon remediation completion
meets stated goals to provide
both environmental benefits as well
as economic stimulation for the community.
ERT
Services That Drive Cost Savings
and Results for Utilities
Charah Solutions has had great success
utilizing
landfills and ash ponds (Figure 1), and
providing repurposing opportunities.
The property is to be repurposed in
its ERT services model with
multiple utilities around the country,
which provides upfront costs savings
to the utility and ongoing partnership
throughout the reclamation process.
Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station
and Reservoir. An example of
Charah Solutions' ERT services is its
agreement signed with the Texas Municipal
Power Agency (TMPA) for the
acquisition, remediation, and repurposing
of Gibbons Creek Steam Electric
Station and Reservoir in Grimes County,
Texas. Here, the company is providing
turnkey services to remediate existing
ash ponds and landfills, and repurpose
the property following the coal-fired
power plant's shut down and decommissioning
in 2018.
Through the agreement, Charah Solutions
took full ownership of the 6,166acre
area, including the closed power
station, the 3,500-acre reservoir, dam,
and spillway. The company assumed all
responsibility for the demolition of the
power plant, and it's performing all environmental
remediation work for the site
46
an environmentally conscious manner
that will expand economic activity and
benefit the surrounding communities
through job creation, support of local
contractors for portions of the project,
promotion of industry, and support of
the tax base, as well as restore the
property to a state that will enable it
to be put to its best potential use. The
land reuse plan includes options for solar
power and battery energy storage,
which utilize the existing transmission
system, maximization of the reservoir,
re-use of the existing rail system, and
other industrial uses, such as agricultural
and commercial use. This Charah
Solutions ERT project is on schedule to
complete demolition in early 2022 (Figure
2) and environmental remediation
work by late 2023.
" The transaction will save member
cities and rate payers millions in expenses
associated with decommissioning
and environmentally remediating
the plant site while eliminating the risks
for TMPA and redeveloping the plant
and property to expand economic activity
to support the tax base, including the
Grimes County Schools, " TMPA General
Manager Bob Kahn said.
B.C. Cobb Generating Facility. Remediating
the existing ash ponds at
Consumers Energy's former B.C. Cobb
Generating Facility near Muskegon
Lake in Muskegon, Michigan, was part
of the post-closure regulation needs
and sustainability objectives for the site
and community in order to further advance
the wetlands along the eastern
shore of Lake Michigan. Charah Soluwww.powermag.com
tions
approached Consumers with an
innovative and cost-effective proposal
to meet these goals, and provide remediation
of the ponds and repurposing of
the site. This comprehensive solution
provides effective management of all
environmental aspects to safely close
and enhance the site for the benefit of
the community, while lowering the cost
for Consumers and its customers, hiring
25 local operators, as well as using
local vendor partners to assist with the
remediation work at the site. The turnkey
services for the project include the
property acquisition, site remediation,
and repurposing of the land.
This work also includes the beneficial
recycling of 650,000 cubic yards of
ash materials, sustainable repurposing
of the property, and ongoing groundwater
testing. Upon completion of
the project, the B.C. Cobb ash ponds,
including ponds 0-8 and the bottom
ash pond on the property totaling 62.8
acres, will be fully returned to natural
wetland areas for the benefit of the
watershed and for the community to
enjoy (Figure 3). This Charah Solutions
ERT project is on pace from the original
schedule to complete site remediation
by the end of 2021 and obtain regulatory
approval in 2022.
Avon Lake Generating Station.
in July 2021, Charah
Most recently,
Solutions entered into a binding agreement
to acquire the 627-MW coal-fired
Avon Lake Generating Station in Avon
Lake, Ohio, and adjacent property from
GenOn for the shutdown and decommissioning
of the coal power plant and
performing all environmental remediation
and repurposing work at the site.
This property consists of multiple parPOWER
| October 2021

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POWER October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER October 2021