Elkem Fluid Waste Pond 3a

About Elkem Fluid Waste Pond 3a

The primary purpose of Elkem Fluid Waste Pond 3a is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Emc Ashtabula, Inc.. It impounds the Tributary To Lake Erie - Offstream near Ashtabula.

The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 3,350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 23 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 278 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1967, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 09/29/2022.

At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 87% of dams nationwide.

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