 Beginning in 1999, Westar Energy joined other utilities across the United States in reporting, for the first time, releases of certain chemicals. Required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Section 313 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program, the chemical releases reported consist primarily of compounds that exist naturally in coal and oil. The list of compounds reported included metals (barium, cobalt, copper, chromium, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, thallium, vanadium and zinc); acid aerosols and gases (hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and hydrogen fluoride); and trace organic substances (dioxins, furans and polycyclic aromatic compounds). All of these materials are found in trace quantities formed or released during combustion.
At Westar Energy, the majority of these chemicals occur in ash materials collected in air emission control equipment and deposited on site in solid-waste management facilities or reused as beneficial products. About 60 percent to 70 percent of the dry fly ash produced from our plants is reused in various construction industry products. More than 99 percent of the metals released are managed on site or reused, and 70 percent to 80 percent of the acid aerosols generated are neutralized on site in combustion and process equipment.
As Westar Energy continues its strategy to increase the reuse rate of its coal ash, the quantity of ash deposited on site will decrease.
Review the Mercury Answers Web site for questions regarding mercury and power plants.
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