Tampabay: TECO fined for leaks at coal-burning plant

TECO fined for leaks at coal-burning plant

By JULIE HAUSERMAN

TALLAHASSEE -- The state fined Tampa Electric Co. $333,100 Wednesday for improperly storing waste at a Polk County plant that's billed as a state-of-the-art "clean coal" facility.

The plant, in Mulberry, is a showcase facility for the U.S. Department of Energy, and regularly hosts visitors from all over the world.

But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the plant burned inefficiently, and produced huge piles of unburned coal, ash and a waste product called slag, threatening groundwater.

The waste was supposed to be protected by a plastic liner. Instead, the piles were so big that the waste spilled out into nearby treatment ponds, said DEP solid-waste engineer Bill Koutash.

TECO spokeswoman Laura Plumb said the plant "is the first of its kind," and was built with $140-million from U.S. Department of Energy's clean coal technology program. It opened in 1996.

"As is often the case with new technologies like this, we are working with regulators. We are constantly refining the process," Plumb said. As for the DEP fine, she said: "We're pleased to put these issues behind us. We've struck agreements with DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modernize all of our facilities with state-of-the-art emission control technologies."

DEP inspectors found the violation last fall and reached an enforcement settlement Wednesday. The plant is still getting money from the U.S. Department of Energy to test clean technology.

TECO has 30 days to pay the fine, and faces an additional $10,000-per-day fine if it doesn't comply. The company also has to clean up the pollution, monitor groundwater, and take measures to make sure its new waste doesn't spill off the plastic liners.

This is the second major fine levied against the company in the past 18 months.

In May 2000, TECO reached a deal with the EPA over repeated violations of the Clean Air Act. TECO disputed the violations but agreed to the settlement after the EPA and Justice Department sued the company. The settlement requires TECO to clean up its two plants in Hillsborough County: Big Bend and Gannon. The company was fined $3.5-million and is required to spend $1-billion to fix the plants and make up for environmental damage.