POWER GENERATION PLANTS

Utah & Wyoming

As a prime contractor to PacifiCorp, WET provides feasibility study and EE/CA support and remediation services at five coal and natural gas power plants in Utah and Wyoming. The plants are governed by two separate regulatory frameworks, operating permits issued by the State Governments, and the EPA’s Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) Regulations issued in 2017. To aid each plant in achieving compliance with their State operating permits, WET has provided feasibility study or EE/CA support in selecting interim remedies for two plants, selection of preferred alternatives, remedial design, construction bid packages, and remedy implementation. These efforts have included the design and implementation of groundwater capture systems for one ash landfill in Utah and one flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) pond in Wyoming. The Utah system involved the design and installation of a slotted pipe in the drainage downgradient of the landfill, which captures landfill leachate and pipes it back to the active plant operations in a closed loop system, where the water is used up in the facility quenching system. The Wyoming system includes a series of groundwater capture wells installed downgradient of two FGD ponds. The wells create a cone of depression which results in significant groundwater capture, preventing its migration downgradient of the ponds. Captured groundwater is returned to facility ponds.

WET personnel also provided expert witness support in the form of written submittals, depositions, and testimony to aid in determining if groundwater impacts found on one Utah plant, had resulted in offsite impacts to adjoining property owners and/or surface waters of U.S. Their facility knowledge, technical expertise and expert witness testimony aided in the dismissal of the majority of the lawsuit in 2019. Under the CCR regulations, WET completed comparative analysis of alternatives for seven waste management units under consideration for remedial actions in 2018. Each assessment identified a preferred alternative for the waste management units. WET is currently assisting PacifiCorp with the development of remedy selection reports for the units in question and have prepared remedial action work plans and submitted them to State regulators for review and approval. WET is also developing a remedial design, design specifications, and a contractor bid package for the removal of waste, waste pond, pond liner, and underlying impacted soils at one facility in Wyoming.

WET is a trusted partner of PacifiCorp and completes assigned tasks in full compliance with the regulatory and technical requirements. WET also regularly issues subcontracts to support project implementation for remediation support services. These subcontracts contain both technical and regulatory requirements which flow to subcontractors. Upon completion of their tasks, subcontractor deliverables are reviewed for compliance with these requirements, and comments/adjustments are made as needed to ensure their deliverables are of sufficient quality to support decision making. WET personnel also provide technical support and presentations at meetings with local governments, other regulatory agencies, and at public meetings to aid PacifiCorp with community outreach or other stakeholder involvement relating to investigations, groundwater monitoring, sampling, and remediation at the five facilities we support. These activities include periodic meetings with state regulators, preparation of meeting materials and technical deliverables, reviews of these submittals with regulatory agencies, and participation in public meetings.