Stanton Energy Center has 4 groundwater monitoring wells, 1 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between September 09, 2015 and September 17, 2019. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of sulfate, lithium, radium, cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum and selenium.
Site descriptionThe Orlando Utilities Commissions' (OUC) Stanton Energy Center is in central Florida outside of Orlando. The plant began operating in 1987 and has two coal-fired units with a net capacity of 940-MW of electricity. OUC has announced that both units will be converted to natural gas before 2028 and will eventually be retired before the end of 2040. Groundwater beneath the site flows from west to east, generally, except north of the coal storage area where it flows to the north. A landfill, called the combustion waste storage area, and five lined ponds are operated on-site. The landfill primarily contains scrubber sludge and fly ash, and other materials dredged from the site's lined ponds and other plant wastes.
A July 2010 investigation of pond liner integrity at the site's five lined ponds identified potential issues with design (water levels frequently overtopped the liners and associated vent pipes, resulting in leaks) and maintenance (torn liners, damage to underlying concrete, and build-up of sediments that interfere with liner effectiveness) that required repairs and/or remediation. According to January 2013 correspondence, the Utilities Commission planned to replace the liners and make necessary repairs by the end of 2016. In 2007, The Stanton Energy Center deposited over 14,000,000 pounds of toxic metals in its land disposal areas according to the EPA’s 2008 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI).
You can find the industry-reported data here. For more information about the Stanton Energy Center, see EIP's 2019 National Coal Ash Report.