WILLIAMSPORT — The Department of Environmental Protection today announced that it has fined PPL $28,500 for residual waste violations at the company’s power plant in Derry Township, Montour County, and recreation facility in Madison Township, Columbia County that occurred in 2009 and 2010.
“PPL cooperated with the department and corrected all the violations in a timely manner,” said DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber.
While inspecting PPL’s ash disposal impoundment in October 2009, DEP staff observed several large erosion gullies in the south side dike. One gully was observed to be about three feet in depth, and two other gullies were observed to be deeper than one foot in depth. There also were cracks on the south slope. If not corrected, the gullies and cracks could have threatened the integrity of the impoundment.
PPL submitted a repair plan and implemented it following DEP’s approval.
In early February 2010, PPL notified DEP that Stabil-Fill material spilled out of a sedimentation trap at its Montour Recreation Facility. Stabil-Fill is a trademarked product, consisting of fly ash and hydrated lime, which is beneficially used as construction material.
A DEP investigation determined the release was the result of heavy precipitation. PPL had been constructing recreation fields using Stabil-Fill and the heavy precipitation caused this material to spill out of a sedimentation trap and flow about 500 feet down gradient. It was deposited intermittently throughout an unnamed tributary of the East Branch of the Chillisquaque Creek, but no waste residue was evident within 100 feet of the creek.
PPL used a vacuum truck to clean-up the majority of the waste Stabil-Fill and employed a silt fence down gradient of the sedimentation trap to prevent any further release to the tributary. An estimated 80 percent of the sedimentation trap was dredged to allow for efficient capacity in the event of another large precipitation event.
A follow-up inspection by DEP determined that PPL had corrected the violations.
The fine was paid to the Solid Waste Abatement Fund, which helps to finance cleanups across the state.