Video and soundbites explaining the environmental upgrades
are available for download
FAIRMONT, W.V., Sept. 11,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a part of their
commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of
operations, FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Mon Power and
Potomac Edison have begun construction on two projects that will
improve the wastewater treatment process at the companies'
regulated power plants in West
Virginia.
The environmental upgrades at Fort Martin Power Station in
Maidsville, Monongalia
County, and Harrison Power Station in Haywood, Harrison County, will help Mon
Power and Potomac Edison continue to support clean drinking
water, agriculture and recreation in local communities while also
meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's updated effluent
limitation guideline requirements.
Currently, water from nearby streams is used to wash coal ash
from the bottom of the plants' furnaces for disposal. When the
projects are complete, the ash will instead be ground into smaller
pieces and fall onto conveyor belts for removal. The new process
will create less wastewater, which must undergo careful treatment
before it can be safely discharged back into the river to ensure
the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
"Moving the ash in a mechanical manner will reduce the amount of
water that touches ash and then therefore needs to be processed at
each plant," said Adam Hoalcraft,
a consulting engineer at Harrison Power Station. "The project
aligns with FirstEnergy's mission to protect and preserve the
natural environment and to promote a sustainable future for the
customers and communities we serve."
The upgrades include construction of conveyor belts that will
transport coal ash to a new three-sided concrete structure on each
plant's grounds. From there, the dry ash will be loaded into trucks
to be taken to the companies' existing licensed disposal site
nearby. The companies plan to finish the projects by the end of
2025.
The Public Service Commission of West
Virginia approved the projects in 2022 as part of a
$142 million, multi-year
environmental compliance program. The cost of the improvements is
to be funded through a customer surcharge that will begin next year
when the first project is completed.
The upgrades support the continued operation of Fort Martin and
Harrison until their anticipated retirement dates of 2035 and 2040,
respectively. The two plants generate 3,080 megawatts of power
combined.
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power at
mon-power.com, on Twitter @MonPowerWV, and on Facebook at
facebook.com/MonPowerWV.
Potomac Edison serves about 275,000 customers in seven counties
in Maryland and 155,000 customers
in the Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at potomacedison.com, on
Twitter @PotomacEdison, and on Facebook at
facebook.com/PotomacEdison.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Video and soundbites explaining
the environmental upgrades are available for download on
Flickr.
View original content to download
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.