AES Coal Ash Crisis: Toxic Dumping in Peñuelas and Guayama

AES Puerto Rico began operating a 454-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Guayama in 2002 under a 25-year contract with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The plant burns approximately 2.2 million tons of coal annually, producing roughly 400,000 tons of coal combustion residuals (CCR) — commonly known as coal ash — each year.

The coal ash, which contains arsenic, lead, mercury, selenium, and other toxic heavy metals, was deposited in massive open-air dumps in the southern municipality of Peñuelas and in Guayama itself. The Peñuelas site, located near residential communities and the Tallaboa Valley aquifer, became one of the largest coal ash dumps in the Western Hemisphere. By 2017, an estimated 4 million tons had accumulated.

Residents of surrounding communities reported increased rates of respiratory illness, skin conditions, and cancer. Independent testing found elevated levels of arsenic and other contaminants in nearby wells and streams. Despite these findings, AES Puerto Rico classified the coal ash as "non-hazardous" and resisted federal regulation. The company marketed the ash as "aggregate product" for construction fill, a designation environmentalists called a greenwashing tactic.

In 2016, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court ruled that coal ash should be classified as toxic waste, ordering its proper disposal. However, implementation remained slow. Community organizations like Comunidad Guayamesa Unida contra la Contaminación (GUCA) and the Sierra Club of Puerto Rico filed lawsuits and organized protests demanding the plant's closure.

Hurricane María in 2017 dispersed coal ash from the open dumps across wider areas, exacerbating contamination. The EPA added several sites to its Superfund assessment list. Despite ongoing litigation and community resistance, the plant continued operations. The crisis exemplifies how colonial energy infrastructure imposes environmental costs on marginalized communities while extracting profits for mainland corporations.