Natural Radiation  in Wastes From Coal-Fired Power Plants
Fly ash, bottom ash and boiler slag from coal-fired power plants contain small amounts of naturally occurring
radioactive material.
   •   Naturally radioactive materials that were in coal before processing mostly end up in fly ash, bottom ash
       and boiler slag.
   •   About 80 to 90 percent of fly ash, bottom ash and boiler slag is non-radioactive minerals, typically
       silicon, aluminum, iron and calcium.

About Natural Radiation in Wastes From  Coal-Fired Power Plants
                                                                    Different colors of coal ash.
                                                               Source: American Coal Ash Association
In 2012, approximately 37 percent of the United States' electricity
was created by burning coal. Like all rocks, coal contains small
amounts of radioactive material that are found naturally in the
environment.
When coal burns, most of the radioactive material does not burn and
ends up in three types of wastes:

   •   Fly ash is carried by hot gases and trapped by stack filters. It
       is the largest of the coal combustion wastes (about half) by
       weight.

   •   Bottom ash is too large or heavy to be carried by gases and
       settles to the bottom of the boiler. Just over ten percent of
       coal combustion waste is bottom  ash.

   •   Boiler slag is formed when ash melts under the intense heat
       of combustion and collects at the bottom of the boiler and in
       exhaust stack filters. It makes up about two percent of coal
       combustion waste.

Generally,  these wastes are only slightly more radioactive than the
average soil in the U.S.

While 99 percent of fly ash is captured by filters, small amounts can
escape into the air. Government regulations require power plants to
limit the amount of fly ash that escapes into the environment and to
dispose of collected ash properly.
A survey by the American Coal Ash Association showed that about
45 percent of all fly ash, bottom ash and  boiler slag was reused. Its
use depended on the characteristics of the waste. Just over 60
percent of collected fly ash was used in concrete and blended
cement. Almost 70 percent of bottom ash was used for concrete,
blended cement and to fill structures or embankments. About 80 percent of boiler slag was used as blasting
                                                                          Bottom ash
                                                               Source: American Coal Ash Association
                                                                           Boiler slag
                                                               Source: American Coal Ash Association
  United States Environmental Protection Agency | Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608T) | EPA 402-F-14-009 | August 2014 |  p. 1

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grit or roofing granules. Fly ash, bottom ash and boiler slag can also be used to fill structures or embankments,
in snow and ice control, as waste stabilization/solidification, or as aggregate.

Rules and Guidance

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

EPA develops standards for coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act', Clean Water Act", Safe Drinking
Water Act'", Resource Conservation and Recovery Activ and the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Acf.  EPA has primary responsibility for setting federal radiation standards for
exposure to naturally-occurring radioactive materials.

THE STATES
Each state has one or more programs to address radiation protection, including naturally occurring radioactive
materials.  Most states control public exposure to radioactive materials through  programs implementing federal
environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)

DOE provides grants for research and studies on coal-fired plants and on clean coal technologies.


What you can do

The amount of natural radiation in wastes from coal-fired power
plants is so small that no precautions need to be taken.
There are other harmful emissions from power plants and
industrial sources that are regulated. You can learn more about
EPA's air pollution standards by visiting the Plain English Guide
to the Clean Air Act ".
If you are concerned about air quality from any type of emission,
you can track the Air Quality Index for your area at the
government's AirNow websitevii.

Where to learn more
You can learn more about natural radiation in wastes from coal-fired power plants by visiting the resources
available on the following webpage: http://www.epa.gov/radtown/coal-fired-power-plants.htmltflearn-more.
Diagram of a coal-fired power plant.
' http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/peg/
" http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act
"' http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/
iv http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summarv-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act
v http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm
vi http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/peg/
vii http://www.airnow.gov/
  United States Environmental Protection Agency |  Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608T) | EPA 402-F-14-009 | August 2014 |  p. 2

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