Columbia Energy Center has 27 groundwater monitoring wells, 6 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between April 13, 2010 and April 14, 2015. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of molybdenum, selenium, arsenic, sulfate, manganese and boron.
Site descriptionColumbia Energy Center is a 1023-MW coal-fired power station owned by Alliant Energy. The station began operating in 1975 and is located along the Wisconsin River in Pardeeville, Wisconsin. The station has four units regulated under the CCR rule: one surface impoundment called Primary Ash Pond and three landfills listed as COL Dry Ash Disposal Facility Module 1, 2 and 3. The Columbia Energy Center is listed among the U.S. EPA's proven damage cases, indicating that it has polluted groundwater or surface water at levels which threaten human health and the environment. You can find the industry-reported data here. For more information on the Columbia Energy Center, see EIP’s 2019 National Coal Ash Report.