Environmental impacts coal combustion wastes

The disposal of coal combustion residues must take into account the nature and amount of the products to be disposed, as well as the nature of the disposal environment. It is a characteristic of coal utilization that many historic wastes exist that lack, or almost totally lack, characterization data. Only in recent decades, with concern over the environmental impacts of present and future accumulation of wastes, have characterization studies been made. The principal types of waste are described in Table 5. 

This priority order ensures that co-combustion of waste is only possible in case the waste cannot be re-used or when formation cannot be avoided. Each plan for cocombustion of waste in coal-fired power plants is therefore tested on its order in priority. An Environmental Impact Study is often mandated or desired by the national administration and/or regional authorities, who discuss and compare the possibilities for reutilization and alternative processing routes (for exanqile by means of a Life Cycle Analysis) (KEMA, 1999). 

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