May 3, 2023
Toxic Coal Ash in Michigan: Addressing Coal Plants’ Hazardous Legacy
For decades, utilities disposed of coal ash — the hazardous substance left after burning coal for energy — by dumping it in unlined ponds and landfills. Michigan has 52 coal ash dumpsites.
Coal ash contains hazardous pollutants including arsenic, boron, cobalt, chromium, lead, lithium, mercury, molybdenum, radium, selenium, and other heavy metals, which have been linked to cancer, heart and thyroid disease, reproductive failure, and neurological harm.
Industry’s own data indicate that across the country 91% of coal plants are currently polluting groundwater above federal health standards with toxic pollutants.
Coal ash remains one of our nation’s largest toxic industrial waste streams. U.S. coal plants continue to produce approximately 70 million tons every year.
Despite EPA’s 2015 Coal Ash Rule, which created the first-ever safeguards for coal ash disposal, many coal ash dumps remain unregulated due to sweeping exemptions for legacy coal ash ponds and inactive landfills.
The exempted coal ash dumps are sited disproportionately in low-income communities and communities of color. The EPA issued a proposed rule to address most of these exemptions on May 17, 2023.
Action Needed
The magnitude of harm from recklessly dumped toxic coal ash requires decisive action from federal and state regulators.
- Utilities must be required to comply with the law and immediately clean up their pollution.
- EPA and states must make enforcement a priority and act quickly to ensure that utilities leave communities with sites that benefit rather than harm their health, environment, and economic status.
- EPA must swiftly strengthen the Coal Ash Rule to address the many legacy ponds and inactive landfills that are unregulated, and to prohibit coal ash used as fill unless protective measures are put in place, to ensure all Michigan communities are protected from coal ash pollution.
30 Regulated Coal Ash Disposal Sites in Michigan
Michigan utilities operate 30 regulated coal ash ponds and landfills containing more than 79 million cubic yards of toxic waste at 15 coal plants.
Coal ash has caused significant groundwater contamination at nearly all of the state’s regulated dumpsites.
To date, only one Michigan plant has even selected a cleanup plan.
| BC Cobb | Muskegon | Consumers Energy | 2 unlined ponds | Arsenic (x2), Boron (x6), Lithium (x3), Molybdenum (x2), Radium 226+228 (x1) |
| Belle River | China Twp | DTE | 1 unlined pond, 1 landfill | Boron (x1), Cobalt (x1), Lithium (x2), Molybdenum (x2) |
| DE Karn | Essexville | Consumers Energy | 1 unlined pond | Arsenic (x45), Boron (x2), Lead (x2), Molybdenum (x1), Sulfate (x1) |
| Erickson | Delta Twp | BWL | 3 unlined ponds | Coal ash caused drinking water well contamination in nearby residences* |
| James DeYoung | Holland | Holland Bd of Public Works | 3 unlined ponds | Lithium (x3), Sulfate (x2) |
| JB Sims | Grand Haven | Grand Haven Board of Light | 2 unlined ponds | Arsenic (x12), Boron (x75), Cobalt (x1), Fluoride (x4), Lithium (x50), Sulfate (x2) |
| JC Weadock | Essexville | Consumer Energy | 1 unlined pond, 1 landfill | Arsenic (x8), Beryllium (x3), Boron (x2), Cobalt (x2), Lithium (x6), Molybdenum (x3), Sulfate (x4), Thallium (x1) |
| JH Campbell | West Olive | Consumers Energy | 3 unlined ponds, 1 landfill | Antimony (x3), Arsenic (x29), Cobalt (x2), Lithium (x2), Molybdenum (x3), Selenium (x1), Thallium (x1) |
| JR Whiting | Erie | Consumers Energy | 2 unlined ponds | Cobalt (x1), Lithium (x2), Thallium (x1) |
| Monroe | Monroe | DTE | 2 unlined ponds, 1 landfill | Boron (x1), Lithium (x3), Sulfate (x3) |
| Presque Isle | Marquette | We Energies | 1 landfill | No exceedances |
| River Rouge | River Rouge | DTE | 1 unlined pond | Arsenic (x8), Boron (x1), Lithium (x1), Molybdenum (x1) |
| Shiras | Marquette | Marquette Bd Light & Power | 1 unlined pond | Cobalt (x1), Lead (x2) |
| St Clair | E. China Twp | Luminant | 2 unlined ponds | Boron (x1), Lithium (x2) |
| Trenton | Trenton | NRG | 1 landfill | Arsenic (x38), Boron (x1), Lithium (x6), Radium 226+228 (x9), Sulfate (x7) |
All data on groundwater contamination from coal ash derived from the utilities’ publicly accessible CCR Compliance Data and Information websites, and exceedances were calculated by Environmental Integrity Project.
For more information on regulated coal ash sites in Michigan, see Mapping the Coal Ash Contamination.
22 Unregulated Coal Ash Legacy Ponds and Inactive Landfills in Michigan (ash dumps exempted from the 2015 Coal Ash Rule)
In addition, Michigan hosts at least 22 unregulated inactive coal ash landfills and legacy ponds at 12 coal plants or landfill sites that escape federal regulation. The exact number of unregulated dumps is unknown because utilities are not required to report them.
At most of these sites in Michigan, EPA determined that coal ash has contaminated underlying groundwater with toxic substances since at least 2014.
As we anticipate EPA’s proposed rule on legacy ponds and unregulated landfills in May 2023, a concern remains that the agency will not address coal ash that was dumped off site or used as fill.
| DE Karn | Essexville | Consumers Energy Co | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| Eckert | Lansing | Lansing Bd of Water & Light | 1 | 1 | Unknown |
| Harbor Beach | Harbor Beach | Detroit Edison Co | 3 | 0 | Unknown |
| JH Campbell | West Olive | Consumers Energy | 0 | 6 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| JR Whiting | Erie | Consumers Energy | 0 | 2 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| James DeYoung | Holland | Holland Bd of Public Works | 0 | 1 | Yes – Industry data* |
| John Warden Ash Site | L’Anse, Baraga Co. | Unknown | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| Muskegon County Type III Landfill | Muskegon Co | Unknown | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| North Lansing Landfill | North Lansing | Lansing Bd of Water & Light | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| Pine Hill Landfill | Negaunee Twp | Marquette Bd of Power &Light | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| Presque Isle | Marquette | We Energies | 0 | 2 | Yes – EPA damage case |
| Range Road Landfill | East China Twp | DTE | 0 | 1 | Yes – EPA damage case |
* Industry monitoring data are the basis of a finding of contamination. See Ashtracker.
These data were developed by using EPA datasets relied upon in their 2007 and 2014 CCR risk assessments (Human and Ecological Risk Assessment of Coal Combustion Residuals) and comparing those datasets to the universe of regulated units.
“EPA damage case” denotes a site where US EPA has found documented groundwater contamination from coal ash.
For More Information
Christine Santillana, Legislative Counsel, Earthjustice, csantillana@earthjustice.org
Lisa Evans, Senior Counsel, Earthjustice, levans@earthjustice.org.
More on Coal Ash in Michigan
- EPA Moves to Reject Six Coal Plants’ Applications to Keep Toxic Coal Ash Dumps Open (January 25, 2023)
- Poisonous Coverup: The Widespread Failure of the Power Industry to Clean Up Coal Ash Dumps (November 3, 2022)
- Dumping Toxic Coal Ash Threatens the Great Lakes (July 20, 2015)
- "Pure Michigan" Might Not be So Pure (December 5, 2013)
- Messed Up in Michigan (March 8, 2013)
Coal Ash in States, Territories, Regions
Earthjustice fights in the courts for a long-term solution to the toxic menace of coal ash. And we act on behalf of dozens of clients and over 100 coalition partners to defeat legislative attempts to subvert federally enforceable safeguards of coal ash.
Earthjustice’s Clean Energy Program uses the power of the law and the strength of partnership to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy.