TransAlta Centralia

The power plant was constructed in 1968. The first boiler was installed in 1971, and the second boiler was installed in 1972. TransAlta Centralia Generation LLC (TransAlta) bought the plant in 2000. In 2011, the Washington Legislature required TransAlta to stop using one boiler by 2020 and the other boiler by 2025.

The plant generated electricity from coal, which may have caused contamination in air, soil, groundwater, and sediment at the facility. Therefore, Ecology is requiring cleanup to protect human health and the environment.

Running a coal-fired power plant can cause several different types of contamination. For example, coal ash has metals in it, such as mercury and arsenic. The plant used fuels like diesel which could have leaked out of tanks or pipelines. Burning coal in a boiler makes smoke, which might have toxic chemicals in it. The plant released smoke outside through tall smokestacks, where it could have drifted away from the plant.

TransAlta has started collecting data to understand contamination at the plant. They collected samples from soil, groundwater, and sediment (dirt at the bottom of the ponds). So far, they have found contamination from metals, fuels, and solvents.

Now, Ecology is requiring TransAlta to finish these studies under a Model Toxics Control Act agreed order. More information will be available for public comment when a draft report is ready.

If you would like to be added to the email or mail list for this site, please reach out to carolyn.subramaniam@ecy.wa.gov. Our staff will email you at key stages in the cleanup process and notify you about public comment periods or public meetings.

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