Albright Power Station has 30 groundwater monitoring wells, 25 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between February 01, 2010 and September 30, 2015. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of manganese, thallium, nickel, sulfate, antimony, chromium, lead, arsenic, boron and selenium.
Site descriptionAlbright Power Station is located on the Cheat River in West Virginia. It maintains two landfills and seven coal ash ponds. Only two of the coal ash ponds are lined. In response to an Environmental Protection Agency request for data in 2010, FirstEnergy admitted that discharges from Albright's landfills contaminated groundwater in excess of state standards for thallium and federal standards for chromium and nickel.
In 2011, the facility was the subject of a citizen suit alleging violations of Clean Water Act imposed limits on arsenic discharges from its impoundments. As a result of this suit, FirstEnergy agreed to close the power plant and stop disposing of coal combustion waste at this facility. FirstEnergy was not, however, required to clean-up or close the landfill, and it may continue to accept other types of waste. Until proper clean-up and closure procedures are implemented, the landfill can be expected to contaminate groundwater.