Independence Steam Station has 10 groundwater monitoring wells, 3 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between May 26, 2010 and October 28, 2015. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of manganese, boron, selenium and sulfate.
Site descriptionEntergy's Independence Steam Station is located in Newark, Arkansas, about four miles from the confluence of the Black and White Rivers. Coal ash waste from the plant is disposed of in a landfill. According to Entergy's Revised 2012 Sampling and Analysis Plan, groundwater beneath the landfill generally flows east-southeast toward the Black River, but the flow direction beneath the landfill shifts from northeasterly to southeasterly due to local influences on groundwater levels. The plant also operates two wastewater recycle ponds and one surge pond.
Independence Steam Station is listed among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's potential damage cases, indicating that activities at the site have potentially contributed to groundwater contamination. For more information about Independence Steam Station, see EIP's 2010 report, In Harm's Way.