Duke coal ash cleanup progress: Is it enough?
Duke Energy says it is making significant and continued progress toward cleaning up its coal ash basins in North Carolina, but the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is singing a different tune.
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Sutton Plant in Wilmington, N.C. Credit: Duke Energy |
Over the weekend, Duke Energy imploded one of three boiler
units at the retired coal-fired L.V. Sutton Plant in Wilmington,
North Carolina.
The utility retired the coal units in 2013 after a new natural
gas-fired plant came into service at the site. The new natural
gas units generate electricity more efficiently for customers
and with lower emissions than the coal plant did during its
operation.
Duke Energy continues moving ash from the Sutton Plant to a
fully lined structural fill at the Brickhaven mine site in
central North Carolina. Permitting is also underway to
constructing a fully lined landfill on Sutton plant property,
which will store the majority of the ash from the basins.
Elsewhere in North Carolina, SELC says that Duke Energy
continues to illegally pollute groundwater at May Lake,
Crutchfield Branch Stream and the Roanoke River Basin – and, on
behalf of the Roanoke River Basin Association, has sent notice
of its intent to sue Duke Energy to stop it from violating the
federal Clean Water Act by capping in place millions of tons of
leaking coal ash.
The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has proposed a "Low Priority" classification for Duke's Mayo facility that could allow Duke Energy to cap the ash.
"Person County, Mayo Lake, and the Roanoke Basin deserve to be protected from Duke Energy's coal ash pollution, both now and in the future," said Frank Holleman, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. "By 'capping in place,' Duke Energy will obliterate part of the Roanoke River Basin and Person County groundwater with millions of tons of coal ash. Duke Energy's current operation of the leaking Mayo coal ash pit and any plans to bury North Carolina's water resources in coal ash violate the Clean Water Act."
Under the federal Clean Water Act, citizens groups must give Duke Energy, DEQ, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency notice of their intent to enforce the Clean Water Act. After the passage of 60 days, the citizens group may file suit in United States District Court to stop the illegal pollution. SELC has filed five other federal Clean Water Act suits against Duke Energy for its coal ash pollution in North Carolina.
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