Alternatives for Future Coal Waste Disposal - Coal Waste Impoundments: Risks, Responses, and Alternatives - page 148

them on a more objective, comprehensive basis. In addition, a detailed
analysis of the economic and environmental impact of the various policy
alternatives should be performed.
A combination of policies can encourage the use of alternatives to coal
slurry impoundments. If there is no consensus on the need to phase out slurry
impoundments, financial incentives for alternatives and research and
development programs can expedite the switch to alternatives. In any event, a
thorough, systematic understanding of the whole system through life-cycle
assessment is needed for evaluating alternatives, as is the comparison of
alternatives. One of the factors limiting implementation to this point has been
the cost associated with the various alternatives. Additional research and
development is needed to refine these alternatives and to demonstrate their
economic implementation. The committee recommends that the use of
economic incentives be explored as a way of encouraging the development
and implementation of alternatives to slurry impoundments. The
development of incentives should be based on the full range of the portfolio of
technologies as well as the economics of the technologies. The incentives
should be linked directly to the reduction in slurry production of the utilization
of slurry.