NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 09:30 ET
An Inside Climate News investigation published this week said Alabama Power is storing more than 21 million tons of coal ash in an unlined pond at its James M. Barry plant on the Mobile River, near the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Alabama Power “remains committed to operating in full compliance with environmental regulations,” spokesperson Alyson Tucker said in an email. 1
The issue is back in focus as regulators and communities push utilities to deal with coal ash — the residue left after burning coal — which can contain contaminants linked to cancer and other serious health effects, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. Federal rules adopted over the past decade set minimum national standards for how utilities store and close ash ponds and landfills. 2
Investors are also watching because cleanup choices can drive large capital spending and years of regulatory filings. In a Dec. 30 blog post, Meyka said the Barry site has raised questions about future cleanup budgets, potential recycling plans and how much cost recovery regulators may allow in 2026. 3
Rolling Out also highlighted the issue in a story published Tuesday, saying Alabama has more than 117 million tons of coal ash in unlined ponds along waterways. 4
Mobile Baykeeper, a local environmental group, says “21 million tons” of coal ash sit beside the Mobile River at Plant Barry and that Alabama Power intends to leave most of it in the unlined pit, which the group says remains in contact with groundwater. 5
The EPA has already taken enforcement action tied to the site. In a 2024 news release, the agency said it finalized a settlement with Alabama Power over alleged violations of federal coal ash rules at Plant Barry, requiring a more robust groundwater monitoring program and revisions to the plant’s emergency action plan. 6
Alabama has also been at the center of a broader federal-state dispute over coal ash oversight. A Federal Register notice shows EPA denied Alabama’s application for a state coal combustion residuals permit program, a decision that became effective in July 2024. 7
Much of the fight turns on “cap-in-place” closures — covering ash where it sits — versus excavating it to lined landfills. Alabama Rivers Alliance says utilities’ plans to cap coal ash in unlined pits, often in or near groundwater, “does not stop or clean up pollution.” 8
The Barry closure plan is also being contested in court. Mobile Baykeeper’s lawsuit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was argued at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a lower court dismissal, according to CourtHouse News. 9
Peer utilities in the Southeast have adopted a range of approaches. Georgia Power, another Southern Company subsidiary, says it is removing coal ash from 20 ponds, with ash moved to lined landfills, consolidated with other sites or recycled for beneficial use. 10
Alabama Power has pointed to recycling as part of its strategy at Plant Barry. The company said in a 2024 release that it plans with Eco Material Technologies to harvest coal ash from the Barry pond and recycle it into construction materials, with an on-site processing facility expected to be in service by January 2026. 11
