Duke Energy
(NYSE: DUK) announced plans to the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) to
remove coal ash stored at the
Asheville Steam Electric Plant, Dan River Steam Station,
Riverbend Steam Station and L.V. Sutton Steam Electric Plant
facilities.
Plans and permits need to be approved by NC DENR before any
excavation work can begin. Under North Carolina's Coal Ash
Management Act, all basins at those sites must be closed by
Aug. 1, 2019.
"This milestone reflects Duke Energy's commitment to moving
forward as quickly as practicable in a safe and
environmentally sound way to address the enormous task of
long-term coal ash storage in North Carolina,” said Lynn
Good, president and chief executive officer of Duke Energy.
"We are devoted to being good neighbors to the communities
we serve and good custodians of our shared environment."
During the initial phase, Duke Energy will move
approximately 5.1 million tons of ash within 12 to 18 months
following an approval from NC DENR. Duke will transfer the
ash to be reused in engineered structural fill projects,
including the ongoing structural fill project at the
Asheville Regional Airport and two new projects to be
developed at open-pit clay mines in Chatham and Lee
counties. Phase 1 also includes a plan for the Roanoke
Cement Co. to use thousands of tons of ash in the creation
of concrete. Additional ash excavated will be stored in an
existing Jetersville, Virginia, lined landfill.
"We think these excavation plans go beyond the specific
information requested by the state, demonstrating our
commitment to closing ash basins in a way that continues to
protect the environment, minimizes the impact to neighboring
communities and complies with North Carolina's new coal ash
management policies," said John Elnitsky, Duke Energy's
Senior Vice President of Ash Basin Strategy. "We are
prepared to proceed as soon as we have the necessary
approvals from the state. The initial work at these
facilities will help us assess various approaches for the
closure plans at our remaining 10 North Carolina
facilities."
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