MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — A Santee Cooper crew monitoring ash ponds at the former Grainger Generating Station in Conway discovered a breach of Pond 1 early Sunday morning. Pond 1 is a former ash pond that is clean of ash and clean of contact soil below the ash, and so no environmental impact is expected.
Regular monitoring of Pond 1 took place Saturday afternoon and no issues were found. During Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the dike on Pond 1 was breached and water from the Waccamaw River, elevated from Hurricane Dorian, filled Pond 1. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, local government officials, the Waccamaw Riverkeeper, downstream water users and other stakeholders were notified when the breach was discovered Sunday morning.
In 2014 Santee Cooper began excavating its two Grainger ponds, which were used to store coal ash produced in generating electricity before the plant closed, and the utility completed removal of ash and contact soil in Pond 1 earlier this year. This is part of the DHEC-approved closure plan for the ponds. As part of that plan, Santee Cooper already has a permit to breach the Pond 1 dike but was delaying that breach to allow for wetlands restoration.
Santee Cooper is taking several steps to address Pond 1 and evaluate potential future actions. Personnel are onsite around the clock to monitor conditions as the river level drops. Water testing is underway in the Waccamaw, and those results will be monitored in conjunction with DHEC. Utility personnel have also installed floating boom inside the breach and added turbidity curtains outside, to contain sediment and debris that may be in the pond.
Pond 2 is not connected to Pond 1 and not impacted by the breach. Its dike remains stable. All the stored ash and most of the contact soil in Pond 2 has also been excavated.
