Georgia Power will host a community meeting regarding ash pond remediation at Plant Hammond

Georgia Power will host a public meeting next month to discuss plans for addressing groundwater conditions at two former ash ponds at Plant Hammond in Floyd County.

The meeting is scheduled for March 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Rome-Floyd E.C.O. Center, 393 Riverside Parkway. Company representatives say the session is intended to share details about the proposed groundwater remediation plan for Ash Pond 1 (AP-1) and Ash Pond 2 (AP-2) and to gather feedback from community members.

Plant Hammond began operating in 1954 and was retired in 2019. Like many coal-fired facilities of its era, the plant historically used ash ponds to manage coal combustion residuals (CCR), commonly known as coal ash — a byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity. The ponds were operated under Clean Water Act permits in effect at the time.

In 2016, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division updated its regulations to incorporate additional federal requirements for coal ash management. Georgia Power has since been working to close ash ponds across the state in accordance with those rules. The company has already removed coal ash from Hammond’s AP-1 and AP-2 and transported it to a permitted disposal facility. Closure activities are being carried out under state-issued permits.

State rules also require ongoing groundwater monitoring around ash ponds, former ash ponds and landfills. Since 2016, Georgia Power has sampled monitoring wells at the Hammond site using methods approved by state and federal regulators, with testing conducted by independent environmental professionals.

According to the company, testing detected elevated levels of arsenic, cobalt and molybdenum in four limited areas on the property. Officials say the impacted zones are small, well-defined and contained within company-owned land. Additional assessment was performed to determine the extent of the concentrations.

Georgia Power representatives say closing the ash ponds is expected to gradually improve groundwater conditions. To further address the affected areas, the company evaluated several treatment options before selecting a preferred approach for review by the Georgia EPD.

The proposed remedy combines in-situ injection — a process that introduces treatment materials directly into groundwater below the surface — with monitored natural attenuation, which relies on natural chemical and biological processes to reduce contaminant levels over time. Laboratory and field studies indicate the method is effective in treating arsenic, cobalt and molybdenum, according to the company.

If approved, the treatment would be conducted on-site. After groundwater meets established protection standards, Georgia Power would continue monitoring and reporting results to the state and posting updates publicly for at least three years. The Georgia EPD will oversee the remediation and ensure compliance throughout the process.

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