Coal ash disposal, What to do with it?

JimR · Nov 24, 2004

Today we finished up the roof on the barn around noontime and quit for the day because it started to rain. I decided to start digging out the ground near the front of the barn to push the foundation wall back out where it belongs. It seems that my deceased father in law and probably his father and who knows before them decided to dump the coal ash from the furnace between the barn and the house at the end of the driveway. There is a drop of about 10 feet where the driveway ends between the two buildings. I have no clue what to do with all the ash. I have already dug up at least 15 yards and haven't put a dent into where I need to get at to fix the wall. I had to give up digging because it was raining pretty hard and the ground turned to mush from all my manuevering. Is this ash good for anything if spread around in the fields or is it just useless crap that turns to mush when wet and crushed? I guess what these older folks thought was a convenient way to expand the driveway or fill in low areas can become a real pain for the next guy. I also think there is a nice stone wall in between the two buildings that they buried with ash. I will know about that soon enough once the ground dries out a bit.

Junkman · Nov 24, 2004

There isn't much that you can do with it except to bury it for someone else to dig up in the future. The real problem with it is that it is extremely acidic. I spread ashes on the lawn from the pellet stove and somewhere I read that it works as a fertilizer. At least it helps to make the weeds grow faster.

JimR · Nov 24, 2004

I guess that I will have to spread it around and hope for the best. maybe the farmer behind our farm can use it on his fields.

Egon · Nov 25, 2004

Coal ash probably contains heavy metals. Don't know how to dispose of it but would not spread it. Think I'd keep it in one pile just in case future cleanup is required.

Egon

LKGuy · Nov 25, 2004

The way we have industry handle it is they dispose of it in large landfills. As already indicated, coal as is full of heavy metals and is acidic so I don't think any vegitation you apply it to will appreciate it. Best option for a home owner? Transfer it to another hole/pit dug in a clay type soil that will control any leaching of the toxics. Cover it up and hope you or no one else has to deal with it again.

Junkman · Nov 25, 2004

I wasn't suggesting that you spread it because of the reasons posted by others. My suggestion was to bury it again. My ashes are from wood pellets which contain no heavy metals (nor light ones either /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif). See if there is a local land fill that will take them. I know that there are still some manufacturing plants such as Norton in Worcester MA that burn coal, so there must be a place to dispose of the ashes. You will just have to find someone to haul them there...

theboman · Nov 25, 2004

As a kid we hung out with a fella who burnt coal and we dumped the coal ashes in potholes along the holler, his driveway.
Woodash went either to the garden on low spots in his, I guess it was a yard.

Lazy · Nov 25, 2004

Hi
Here is an interesting site about the uses of coal ash web page

Charlie.

Lazy · Nov 25, 2004

Hi
The county here uses ash in the winter time on the roads, It must be cheaper than salt. Maybe the county would take them off your hands if you don't have a use for them.

Charlie