Challenge

For decades, City Water, Light and Power (CWLP), Springfield’s municipally owned power generation utility, has managed complex coal combustion residual (CCR) assets, including two surface impoundments and a permitted non-hazardous special waste landfill supporting its coal-fired power station. As state and federal CCR regulations evolved, CWLP needed a trusted engineering partner to maintain compliance, evaluate environmental conditions, support operational decision-making, and develop technically sound closure strategies for legacy CCR units.

Solution

For more than 20 years, Andrews Engineering, a wholly owned subsidiary of Geo-Logic Associates, has served as CWLP’s engineering and environmental advisor, delivering integrated environmental, geotechnical, and regulatory services. Our team has conducted extensive subsurface investigations, hydrogeologic evaluations, groundwater monitoring well installations, and groundwater flow and quality assessments to support compliance with Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA requirements.

Following implementation of the U.S. EPA’s CCR Rule (40 CFR 257), Andrews completed site assessments and prepared critical engineering documentation, including annual inspections, structural stability assessments, hazard potential classifications, safety factor assessments, inflow design flood evaluations, liner status reports, and run-on/run-off control plans. We also developed groundwater monitoring programs, established statistically derived background concentrations, provided facility inspection training, and supported assessment monitoring and remedial planning efforts.

To support long-term asset management and closure planning, our engineers performed multi-dimensional contaminant transport modeling to evaluate alternative cover system designs and optimize closure strategies for CCR surface impoundments.

Results

Andrews continues to help CWLP maintain regulatory compliance while making informed, data-driven decisions regarding CCR management and facility operations. Through rigorous environmental investigations, advanced groundwater and contaminant transport modeling, and ongoing regulatory support, we have positioned CWLP to proactively address current compliance obligations, prepare for future regulatory changes, and advance closure planning with confidence.

Successful CCR management requires a balance of technical rigor, regulatory insight, and practical implementation. By combining those strengths, we help utilities develop solutions that not only meet today’s requirements but also provide a clear path forward for the future.” – Andrews Project Manager