COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 14, 2000 – American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) has found a way to further ease its reliance on landfills by recycling coal ash and scrubber residue into a material designed to replace concrete in construction projects.

Ceracrete Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Environmental Solutions Inc. of Richmond, Va., developed technology to convert ash and scrubber residue into Ceracrete, a high-performance repair material that uses 50 percent coal ash.

CTI will manufacture Ceracrete using recycled residue from AEP’s Mountaineer Plant in New Haven, W.Va. The plant produces more than 280,000 tons of coal ash each year. Residue from the plant is already used to make Seabees, an erosion control product developed by Environmental Solutions. Ceracrete can be used in conjunction with Seabees to make support structures.

“This product provides tremendous environmental benefits because it takes recyclable raw materials and reuses them instead of sending them to a solid waste disposal facility,” said Kevin Dennis, AEP’s environmental engineer at Mountaineer.

“As nonrecyclable raw materials become more expensive to produce and as our aging infrastructure demands new and better repair technologies, it becomes increasingly important to find practical ways to reuse power plants’ waste products,” Dennis said.

Ceracrete offers several advantages over conventional concrete, such as the use of recyclable materials, low porosity and permeability, wide temperature range for effective curing and rapid set time, and the use of non-potable water, which aids in the conservation of drinking water. In addition, Ceracrete gives off no problematic emissions or leachates and is recyclable.

Ceracrete products will be most effective in high-performance projects such as highway infrastructure and bridge repair, Dennis said. The rapid cure characteristics, bondability and superior engineering properties of Ceracrete render it highly suitable for developing a family of products designed for the rapid repair market segment.

PaveMend, the first Ceracrete product, was developed as the focal point of initial commercial production sales. When compared with other quick hardening products, PaveMend offers a wider margin of safety in reaching comparable performance when conditions of surface preparation or weather are not optimal, particularly in cold weather.

ESI engineers monitoring the durability of PaveMend observed a test patch after it was run over at least 40 times per day by 20-ton lift cranes and fuel-filled tanker trucks for more than 120 days. Areas repaired with a PaveMend patch showed evidence of traffic on its surface but lacked cracks or delamination. In comparison, a competitive quick repair product installed next to PaveMend for the same period showed excessive cracking.

PaveMend containing ash from the Mountaineer Plant was recently used to repair deteriorated entrance steps at the Ronald McDonald House in Washington, D.C. PaveMend was requested because of an urgent need for quick access. Pedestrian access was permitted within 20 minutes after PaveMend was applied. Traditional concrete products typically require two hours for initial set and at least six hours before traffic can be allowed.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP is one of the United States´ largest generators of electricity with more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity. AEP is also one of the nation´s leading wholesale energy marketers and traders. AEP delivers electricity to more than 4.8 million customers in 11 states -- Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The company serves more than 4 million customers outside the U.S. through holdings in Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.