Little Blue Run Lake
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Electricity |
| Owner | Public shareholders |
Little Blue Run Lake holds the distinction of being the United States' largest coal ash containment facility. It is owned by FirstEnergy, a publicly traded energy corporation whose assets were valued at $48 billion in 2010. The site extends across Western Pennsylvania and portions of West Virginia. Over the years, FirstEnergy has deposited billions of gallons of coal combustion residuals into this reservoir, leading to numerous legal actions concerning environmental harm.
Description
Constructed in 1975, this man-made lake spans roughly 1,900 acres within Beaver County, Pennsylvania and Hancock County, West Virginia. Initially, FirstEnergy marketed the area as a recreational and boating destination for nearby communities. The coal ash waste is retained behind a rock-and-earth dam that measures 400 feet in height and 2,200 feet in width; this structure is designated as "high hazard" due to the potential for significant damage if it were to fail. The reservoir was formed by filling natural valleys with coal ash slurry transported from the Bruce Mansfield Power Plant located in Shippingport through a pipeline stretching seven miles, resulting in one of the nation's largest dams with a high hazard rating.
Toxic waste and risks
The lake stores approximately 20 billion gallons of coal ash combined with smokestack scrubber residues. Its northern boundary lies mere hundreds of meters from the Ohio River, which serves as the primary drinking water source for more than three million individuals.
According to estimates from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), a breach of the dam could threaten 50,000 residents. Consequently, PADEP prohibited further deposition of coal ash into the lake after 2016. Investigations in 2015 revealed that pollutants were seeping from the impoundment into neighboring communities.
Because Little Blue Run is an unlined coal ash impoundment, contaminants have infiltrated both groundwater and surface water supplies that local populations depend on daily. Residents living nearby have also reported exposure to toxic dust particles and persistent odors resembling hydrogen sulfide.
Lawsuits against FirstEnergy
FirstEnergy has faced several lawsuits related to Little Blue Run Lake. In May 2012, The Environmental Integrity Project alongside Public Justice issued a formal notice expressing intent to sue, accusing FirstEnergy of breaching state and federal environmental regulations by allowing toxic substances such as boron, manganese, sulfates, and arsenic to pollute local water sources.
Before the expiration of the 60-day notice period, PADEP initiated the first-ever state lawsuit targeting a coal ash disposal facility, citing "imminent and substantial endangerment" to public health and environmental safety. Concurrently, PADEP secured a federal consent decree mandating FirstEnergy to cease operations at the impoundment by the end of 2016, pay an $800,000 penalty, connect 21 affected households to municipal water systems, and perform an environmental impact assessment.
In 2014, FirstEnergy consented to accelerate cleanup efforts, committing to complete remediation by 2028 instead of the original deadline in 2031. The remediation plan includes covering the ash with two impermeable geotextile layers; monitoring noise levels, odors, and airborne particulates; conducting quarterly inspections for contaminated seepage; and implementing corrective measures as necessary. PADEP requires continuous environmental monitoring for as long as contamination concerns remain.
Following this agreement, FirstEnergy began extracting water from coal ash for transfer to a lined disposal site located at Murray Energy’s mining operation in Marshall County, West Virginia.
Additionally, a separate federal lawsuit was filed by 15 residents from Pennsylvania and 36 from West Virginia alleging that FirstEnergy contaminated groundwater with hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, sulfates, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. The Pennsylvania plaintiffs reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2015 under confidential terms.