Work to dismantle Georgia Power’s Plant Hammond in Coosa is continuing, and plans are underway to demolish the stacks.

According to Georgia Power spokesman Andrew Vickery, an exact date on when the stacks will come down has not been determined, but company officials expect it will be sometime this fall. Plant Hammond began commercial operations in 1954 and was retired in 2019 as part of Georgia Power’s Integrated Resource Plan. Prior to retirement, the steam-electric generating plant had four coal-fired units capable of producing 800 MW of electricity.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division approved the updated Coal Ash Dewatering Plan from Georgia Power Company on January 20, 2022, for the discharge of treated wastewater from its coal combustion residual pond.

The site has four ash ponds, which are approximately 35, 21, 25, and 54 acres in size, respectively. A dewatering process is necessary to facilitate the permanent closure of Ash Ponds 1, 2, and 4. Ash Pond 3 was permanently capped in 2018. Ash Pond 4 is currently capped but will be closed by removal.

WRGA