AES cleaning up coal ash contamination in Indianapolis

AES Indiana is moving ahead with plans to address the toxic coal ash ponds at its Harding Street Station along the east bank of the White River.

Coal ash at the site is contaminating nearby groundwater at levels exceeding protection standards , and federal rules require any utilities facing such a situation to formulate plans to clean up the problem. The investor-owned utility recently released an updated third-party assessment that details various ways AES can correctly manage the waste and comply with federal regulations.

Groundwater monitoring beginning in 2019 at the site’s coal ash ponds found high levels of arsenic, lithium and molybdenum at levels that require corrective actions. The pollutants must be cleaned up, but the report by Ohio-based firm Haley Aldrich says they p