Where EIP Gets Information for Ashtracker
Site Information and Groundwater Monitoring Data: Many states require facilities to monitor groundwater and submit copies of the results to state agencies. To obtain this information, EIP submits requests to these agencies pursuant to state “Right to Know” laws. This process can be long and expensive- requiring fees to agencies and document delivery services. A handful of states- such as Florida and Louisiana- provide this information online. But navigating these systems can be difficult if requestors are not certain what they are looking for or how the information is filed. Ashtracker is designed to bridge this gap and make public information accessible to concerned citizens.
Once EIP obtains raw data from state agencies, it is entered into a large database that provides the backbone for the Ashtracker visual interface and statistical summaries. Ashtracker summarizes data available at each monitoring well and indicates whether values exceeded health-based screening levels. The site also provides a link to a spreadsheet with the underlying values for citizens to examine or use as a basis for their own analyses. The data for many sites may be incomplete, often because state agencies do not always require monitoring of all of the pollutants most likely to leak into groundwater from coal ash sites.
While EIP has been meticulous in its efforts to identify data entry errors, this work is done by actual humans, and it is possible that errors are present. If you would like an electronic copy of any original document we used in this project, or suspect that you have identified an error, please email officemanager@environmentalintegrity.org or call 202-296-8800 and we will send you the documents.
Please note that groundwater monitoring wells are usually located within the boundary of the ash disposal site, and the actual risk to neighboring communities will depend on distance to drinking water sources, the direction and rate of groundwater flow, and other factors. Many facilities are located near large bodies of water and contaminants may end up in the rivers and streams instead of local aquifers.
Date Range
Ashtracker is built on a dataset compiled from monitoring records dating back to 2010. This range will expand as EIP continues to process new and existing groundwater data.
Accessing Raw Data
Ashtracker provides access to raw (transcribed) data. The information in these downloads provides the backbone for our summary data and allows users to do their own analyses. Please note that data in these tables has been manually entered or transferred from original data sources by EIP staff. While we have worked hard to make sure to avoid presenting erroneous information; errors may be present. If you suspect that raw data in the data downloads is erroneous, please notify us at once at officemanager@environmentalintegrity.org or call 202-296-8800.
About “Up” and “Down” Gradients
Gradient designations on Ashtracker are based on information provided by facilities to state agencies in groundwater monitoring reports. If gradients were not available in the groundwater monitoring reports, we reviewed other documents filed by operators, such as permit applications and maps. For some wells for which no gradient information was available, we provide well-level data in spreadsheets, but do not present this information visually or in summaries.
Users should be aware that up and down gradient designations are self-reported by the operators and may not be accurate. Many disposal facilities are located near large bodies of water and groundwater flow can be influenced by time, seasonality, temperature, and other environmental factors. Coal ash disposal sites themselves can also impact groundwater flow over time. When leachate infiltrates soil under facilities shaped like a bowl, it can cause the water table underneath the bottom of the bowel to rise. This can cause groundwater to flow radially from the center to the edge of the facility’s foot print, contaminating wells that were previously upgradient and therefore outside the path of contaminant flow.
For more information about gradient designations, please see our glossary.