Over the last decade, wastes from the power generation industry (e.g. coal ash), have been under increased scrutiny from the public and regulators alike. Ultimately, new rules and policies were put in place to ensure protection to human health and the environment from coal ash, including the establishment of minimum national standards regulating the location, design, and operation of existing and new coal ash landfills and surface impoundments. From a chemical perspective, coal ash contains inorganic contaminants such as heavy metals; however, they do not contain organic contaminants such as TPH and BTEX, as do some drilling wastes, such as oil-based drilled cuttings. Drilling wastes often contain higher concentrations of the constituents found in coal ash, as well as constituents that are not found in coal ash. This presentation will compare the differences between coal ash and drilling wastes, such as the chemical and physical properties, the amounts generated, the regulatory requirements, and the management techniques.
Primary Author / Conference Presenter:
Jeffrey Tyson, P.E.
Corporate Sales Executive
Scott Energy Technologies LLC
Longview, Texas, USA