Independence Steam Station has 21 groundwater monitoring wells, 4 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between May 26, 2010 and November 20, 2017. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of boron, lithium, manganese, sulfate and selenium.
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.
The CCR Landfill is regulated under the CCR rule. You can find the industry reported data here. For more information on the Independence Steam Station, see EIP’s 2019 National Coal Ash Report Coal's Poisonous Legacy.
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.