The goals of this report are to: (1) provide a basic introduction to handling of wastes from coal combustion and emission abatement and (2) present a procedure for evaluating the potential for these wastes to impact fish and wildlife resources.^Coal combustion ashes and flue-gas-desulfurization (FGD) sludges contain trace elements that can be toxic to biota in sufficient quantities.^Both ashes and FGD sludges are usually deposited in pond or landfill storage areas.^Dispersal of constituents from waste-storage sites occurs primarily by runoff, seepage, and wind erosion.^This report contains methods for evaluating the potential impacts from these routes of dispersal in site-specific situations.^Generally, pond storage methods, even when properly managed, have a greater impact upon fish and wildlife resources than do landfill methods.^The potential for uptake of trace elements to toxic levels is dependent upon a number of factors including: (1) pH of the dispersal and growth media, (2) capacity of the dispersal and growth media to bind elements in a form unavailable for uptake, (3) magnitude of biological concentration of elements in primary producers and succeeding trophic levels, and (4) tolerances of individual species.^We have provided some generalized information that can be used to estimate the relative likelihood of toxicity problems resulting from dispersal of trace elements from coal ashes and FGD sludges.^After the active lifetime of a waste-storage site, revegetation is desirable as a means of controlling erosion and regaining potential fish and wildlife habitat.^A number of plant species have been shown to successfully establish on fly ash; however, toxic effects of the ash constituents have been demonstrated in several cases, and wildlife forage plants have been shown to accumulate some of these constituents to potentially toxic levels.

"Biological Services Program FWS/OBS-80/33." "Division of Environmental Impact Studies, Argonne National Laboratory." "Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency"--Cover. "September 1980." Includes bibliographical references and index.