Impacts of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act on the siting of coal-conversion energy facilities in the United States

Facilities holding wastes that are sited at sandy locations are likely to have serious leachate contamination problems forcing the developer to take special precautions or use expensive pond liners, such as membranes. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act may add to the attractiveness of using low-ash coals because the amount of wastes generated depends critically on the amount of noncombustible material in the coal and will probably decrease the attractiveness of urban locations for new energy facilities. Most facilities producing the largest volumes of heavy, inexpensive substances are to be located far from the traditional markets and off barge-scale, navigable rivers. Long-distance overland hauls of ash and sulfur are infeasible, so ways must be found to use them locally. Markets for sulfur are more regionally concentrated than those for ash.