EPA RCRA ID: WVD980554588
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility is the West Virginia Department of Environment (DEP).
EPA, in coordination with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), performed a file review and a site visit on June 29, 1999 to identify possible releases to the environment. As a result of this review, four releases and the respective clean up activities were identified.
1. Transformer Oil Spill Area: In 1989, approximately five gallons of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated oil leaked from a power transformer. The leak was repaired to prevent any further release, the transformer surfaces were cleaned and the oil-contaminated soil in the area was excavated. Confirmatory soil samples were taken in the spill area to ensure all contamination was removed.
2. Asbestos Release: In 1992, one piece of Transite siding containing 25% asbestos blew off the conveyor belts used to transfer coal. The piece was immediately captured and disposed off-site in accordance with applicable regulations. Most of the original Transite siding on the conveyors still remains.
3. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Release No. 1: On March 3, 1995, a liquid SO2 storage tank released an estimated quantity of between 30 and 500 pounds of SO2 vapor to the Kanawha River Plant stack during a maintenance activity. While the quantity released was considerably less than authorized from this source during normal operation under the West Virginia Air Pollution Control Regulations, the facility reported to release under the Environmental Planning and Community Right-to-know Act.
4. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Release No. 2: On July 14, 1995, another air release of about 4.79 pounds of SO2 occurred due to a cracked piping weld leading to a gas duct. AEP permanently corrected this problem by modifying their existing practices. On-site storage of liquid SO2 for the flue gas conditioning system has been replaced with a solid sulfur burning system in August 1996. This eliminated the possibility of any further release of vapors from the volatilization of liquid SO2.
EPA has determined that no further action is necessary at this time under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program. A forty-five (45) calendar day public comment period on the draft proposal that no corrective action will be required at this facility extended from November 24, 1999 to January 10, 2000 and no comments were received. Therefore, EPA issued a final Agency Determination.
EPA believes that AEP has adequately addressed these releases and there are no other areas that require investigation or remediation. Based on the review of all available resources and a thorough site inspection, EPA has determined that no further corrective action is required at this time.
AEP is requesting a variance from the West Virginia Groundwater Standard (WVGS) for metal contamination at discrete areas of the facility. The elevated levels are associated with combustion wastes stored on-site which are not under the authority of RCRA Corrective Action. The groundwater issue at this facility from the combustion wastes is being handled by WVDEP. A study has been prepared by AEP to demonstrate that there is no threat human and ecological receptors in the area and WVDEP has recommended the variance for approval by the State Legislature. Regular groundwater monitoring and WVDEP oversight will be required if the variance is accepted. EPA does not intend to pursue the issue at this time.
No further federal corrective action is required at this time.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The AEP Kanawha River Plant is an active facility situated on a 134-acre parcel of land which is located in Glasgow, Kanawha County, West Virginia along U.S. Route 60. The facility is bounded by the Kanawha River to the south and U.S. Route 60 to the north. Private homes are located to the east and west of the facility. The facility has been owned and operated by American Electric Power since 1952. The Kanawha River Plant is used for the generation and transmission of electrical power by coal-fired steam units to communities in West Virginia and Virginia.
Contaminants at this Facility
There are no documented releases at this facility causing a threat to human health and the environment.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls were not required at the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.