By Wendy Burton
Phoenix Staff Writer
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The company that dumps fly ash from Muskogee’s OG&E power plant has not dumped any in several months, LaFarge Inc. told an Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality investigator.
They have dumped a “coarser ash material” in the abandoned mines north of Fort Gibson recently, said Scott Thompson, with the Land Protection Division of the DEQ.
“This stuff typically is not a substantial threat. Is it perfect and wonderful? No,” Thompson said. “But we’ll do some more checking on this, though we don’t have any recent complaints.”
The DEQ will send someone out to check into the situation as soon as possible, he said.
“It just depends on what the weather does and when we can get someone over there. We may go more than once,” Thompson said. “We want to find an optimal time to find out what the white residue is and sort out where its coming from and all that.”
Thompson said reports of a foul odor associated with the white substance that is infiltrating a ditch along Oklahoma 80 below the site are “kind of odd.”
There is not usually a significant odor associated with fly ash, he said.
However, he is unsure about the other material they’ve dumped, and whether or not the odor could be associated with it.
OG&E burns low-sulphur coal, according to the records Thompson has with the DEQ, so they do not use a desulphurization process that would leave their coal ash with a foul odor, he said.
Prior to an article in the Phoenix on Aug. 26, a geologist had been to the dump site to check for seepage through a sheer rock wall below the dumping area, Thompson said.
“There was no odor there, and it was clear of residue,” he said. “But I don’t know if they’ve looked along this road at that gate.”
The white residue in question was along a ditch next to the lower entrance to the old mines on Oklahoma 80.
Residents also said in the Aug. 26 article dust billows up in the air when trucks are dumping at the site.
“If folks are seeing them dump, and there’s dust blowing off the property, they can call the complaint number and we can check it out and get after who ever is responsible for keeping it moist so it doesn’t blow,” Thompson said.
Even if the substance is fly ash, Thompson is isn’t certain it is hazardous to people and animals.
“As far as harm from this material, it’s debatable,” he said. “It’s (dust blowing around) an aesthetic issue, certainly.”
As far as the odor of the white residue found along a ditch, Thompson said it could be due to natural causes.
“It could be the PH of the ash causing a natural substance to leach out of the rock or soil,” he said,. “But we’ll try to figure out what’s going on.”
What to do
If residents close to the Fort Gibson fly ash dump site have concerns about their wells or anything else, they can call Environmental Complaints at (800) 522-0206.
Reach Wendy Burton at 684-2926 or wburton@muskogeephoenix.com.
