What Do You Do With the Ashes?

We are considering buying a coal stove, but were wondering what do we do with the ashes? How much ash is generated by 110 pound hopper's worth of coal? We are in W. Pittston and pay by the bag for garbage and by weight (how heavy are the ashes?). Is there a pickup service available? Does anyone have any suggestions or what they do with their ashes??
Thank You,
Dee

Well fortunately where I live the borough picks them up. Other towns where they don't the garbage colletor will usually do it for a small yearly fee.

Two bags of coal (80 lbs or 10 gallons) makes one ash-bucket of ashes (1 cubic ft. or roughly 6 gallons by volume). Ashes are not very heavy. I dump most of them in a pile in a portion of the yard. Much of the lighter stuff blows away in the dumping. What's left is a 'gravelly' type of rock which I have used as anti-skid on our driveway in the winter, and I've also used to fill a few low spots in our aging driveway.
Last year we used about one ton of coal. The pile of ashes was about a foot high, and spread out from there. I think it would make good soil enhancer for a garden also.
Troy

Don't put coal ashes in your garden, they are toxic, containg heavy metals.

Anonymous wrote:Don't put coal ashes in your garden, they are toxic, containg heavy metals.

Care to elaborate? any links? I often wondered if there were any hazards to using coal ashes in a garden. Many people in this area use them. I've been meaning to research it but haven't had the time.

As far as the heavy metals go is just trace amounts? Is that for all coal ash?

I was told I could put it in my driveway or to use it for traction to help get my car unstuck.

Chris wrote:I was told I could put it in my driveway or to use it for traction to help get my car unstuck.

Ashes are great for that, it's like having instant concrete. I have to get into many places that a truck wouldn't normally have to go, it's one of the reasons I don't mind it in the winter since I know they have ashes if I get stuck in the snow. Works to some degree for mud too if you have enough of them. A few of my customers have long sloping driveways, many of them have prepositioned barrels filled with ashes.

from aaca.org's FAQ on coal ash:

Is coal ash hazardous?

Coal, like soil, rocks and other natural materials found in the earth’s crust contain trace amounts of heavy metal elements. The burning of coal results in some of these elements being oxidized in the coal ash that is produced. Typically, these heavy metals include arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc.

Beginning in 1988 and continuing through 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studied extensively the risk that coal ash presents to the environment. First, in a report to Congress dated February 1, 1988 the EPA concluded that the ash resulting from the combustion of fossils fuels was not hazardous and did not need to be regulated as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In a Report to Congress dated March 1999, the EPA again confirmed that coal ash did not require regulation as a hazardous waste and encouraged the beneficial use of coal combustion byproducts. On May 22, 2000 , the Federal Register published the EPA’s final determination “ Notice of Regulatory Determination on Wastes from the Combustion of Fossil Fuels.” This Federal Register is available on ACAA‘s website under “What are CCPs?”

As stated earlier, coal ash contains varying concentrations of these heavy metals. Despite the large volumes of ash produced, the total quantity of heavy metals is relatively small, and an even smaller amount of these elements can be released to the environment. Annually, utilities report the total quantity of metals and other materials released in to the environment through Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements. For example, the largest quantities of heavy metals are in the form of manganese, barium and vanadium. Much smaller amounts of copper, lead and other metals are reported under TRI. The impact of these heavy metals is slight. Studies conducted by the University of North Dakota indicate that for most heavy metals, even if released directly into groundwater, the concentrations are so low that they would not adversely affect drinking water quality. A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) fact sheet states that a “Standardized test of the leach ability of toxic trace elements such as arsenic, selenium, lead and mercury from fly ash shows that the amounts dissolved are sufficiently low to justify regulatory classification of fly ash as non-hazardous solid waste.” Other regulations and standards regarding the use and disposition of coal ash are in place and vary by application from state to state.

However, it is important to note that despite these relatively low concentrations, if improperly managed, any waste can have a negative impact on the environment. The United States and Canadian utility industry have implemented many methods of control and monitoring to ensure that when coal ash is disposed, there will be no adverse affect to human health or to the environment. Environmental stewardship is an important part of the utility industry.

Andy wrote:Coal, like soil, rocks and other natural materials found in the earth’s crust contain trace amounts of heavy metal elements.

That's what I figured, I wonder if by burning them you are concentrating them though. Many, many people in this area use coal ashes in their gardens and swear by it. Especially in the tomato sections. Pittston, across the bridges from here is the self-proclaimed tomato capital of the world.

question for anyone....the aaca.org that I found when doing a search to read more turned out to be tha antique automibile club of america

could someone share the link for the info about coal ash that was used for the above information?

thank you - AL

**Broken Link(s) Removed**

aaaaahhh!..big difference bewteen aaca and acaa..i will check them out...i just have too much ash to be goingto the dump w each week

based on information found in the links found at this location:
**Broken Link(s) Removed**I would not drop my ash on my land that I use for growing food products...i would not even use it for roads for traction/snow/ice because the trace elements to migrate w rain/runoff.

Perhaps someone else will read something different in this literature....but it appears that runoff can get into wells and the natural watertable of your growing area

I know a guy who works at PPL, and his job is to help design golf courses. You know all the molds around the holes etc. Well guess what's under them. Coal ash from the power plants. That's what PPL does with the stuff, and they make alot of it. Think about that the next time you 'Tee off'

Al F wrote:based on information found in the links found at this location:
**Broken Link(s) Removed**I would not drop my ash on my land that I use for growing food products...i would not even use it for roads for traction/snow/ice because the trace elements to migrate w rain/runoff.

Perhaps someone else will read something different in this literature....but it appears that runoff can get into wells and the natural watertable of your growing area

Just rember what you have read at the referenced web site is about Power Plant generated fly ash and bottom ash. It is not characteristic of residential anthracite coal ash. The burning of bituminus coals in power plant boilers is much different than the burning of anthracite in low temperature residential stoves, furnaces and boilers. I know of no environmental study on RESIDENTIAL generated coal ash. Since the amount of ash generated is different by orders of magnitude you can not conclude the hazards of Power Plant ash apply to residential ash. Certainly empirical and historical data indicates residential coal ash is not a problem. I'm not saying it can not be a problem, but a century ago when residential anthracite use was widespread, people were not dying in mass, their gardens were not growing poisoned food, and their residential cisterns provided water consistent with the quality standards of the time.