Georgia Power Will Close Plant McDonough Ash Pond

Georgia Power plans to close the ash pond at Smyrna’s Plant McDonough as part of a move to close all of the 29 ponds owned by the utility company, according to a Monday announcement.

“We are developing an ash pond closure timeline that will meet all federal regulations in the most economical way for our customers and our business,” said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power in a statement.

“Safety and compliance will continue to be our primary focus throughout the closure process, while fulfilling our longstanding commitment to protect the environment and the communities we serve.”

The company plans to roll out a timetable of pond closures in the next sixth months, cautioning that closing all 29 ponds will take several years.

The schedule will be created through adherence to the EPA’s Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) Rule and Steam Electric Effluent Limitation Guidelines, the announcement says. Georgia Power says it will work with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to develop the plan.