It is composed of materials remaining after coal is burned, including fine sand (called silica), unburned carbon, various metals, and compounds that have potential to be Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPCs). into the state's Dan River. Coal ash, a murky gray sludge that is the residue from burning powdered coal to generate electricity, contains high levels of toxic elements, including lead, mercury, selenium and arsenic. It also settles various legal disputes between Duke and parties that include environmental and community groups. [17][18][19] Prior to the incident, environmental groups had attempted to sue Duke Energy three times in 2013 under the Clean Water Act to force the company to fix leaks in its coal ash dumps. [14], The New York Times reported that the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ; formerly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources) was directed to minimize its regulatory role prior to the accident by Governor Pat McCrory. natural resources injured as a result of oil spills or hazardous substance releases into the environment. On May 2, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into a $3 million cleanup agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) to address the February 2014 coal ash spill into the Dan River at Eden, N.C. [13] This is due to samples passing human health screening, the potential for historical contamination to become re-suspended, and removal being more detrimental to certain endangered species than the coal ash itself. Keith Weisinger The river was opaque with ash on Monday, the day after the spill was detected, he said, but the latest measurements indicated that the ash content was less than a quarter of its recent peak. The released ash and water was discharged to the Dan River. The groups have since argued in court that the states settlement of two lawsuits was inadequate because it required only that Duke study the leaks further, not stop them. Crews are currently removing accessible coal ash from the Dan River and sampling drinking water, surface water and river sediments. Community Involvement (678) 575-8132 . The release of coal ash occurred at the Dan River Steam Station (Duke Energy) north of Eden, NC in Rockingham County. [8], EPA has been collecting dissolved contaminant concentration data in the Dan River (from the VA/NC state line to midway between Danville and South Boston) since the coal ash spill. Addressing coal ash at facilities across North Carolina, Restoring natural resources impacted by the Dan River spill, An official website of the State of North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Assistance and Customer Service, Environmental Education and Public Affairs, Distance Learning - Environmental Education, Allen Steam Station Coal Ash Closure Plans, Belews Creek Steam Station Coal Ash Closure Plans, Cliffside Steam Station Coal Ash Closure Plans, Marshall Steam Station Coal Ash Closure Plans, Mayo Steam Station Coal Ash Closure Plans, Roxboro Steam Electric Plant Coal Ash Closure Plans, 2020 Coal Ash Closure Plans: Buck, Cape Fear, HF Lee, Weatherspoon, Permanent Replacement of Water Supplies at Coal Ash Sites. Attempts to secure release were reported to be unsuccessful. The company agreed in November to spend at least $1.5 million to install public water lines in Flemington, N.C., after tests showed that arsenic and other chemicals from a coal-ash pond had leaked into groundwater. DEQ filed four lawsuits in 2013 alleging violations of state law regarding unlawful discharges and groundwater contamination at all 14 Duke Energy facilities. Another DEQ agency, the N.C. Division of Waste Management, regulates coal ash as a solid waste. Coal ash is the waste that remains when coal is burned. Duke Energy, the utility that owns the impoundment and the Dan River Steam Station in Eden, N.C., which closed in 2012, says that 27 million gallons of contaminated water also leaked into the river. EPA North Carolina outpost OSC (On-Scene Coordinator) received a phone call from North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources at 4:45 pm on 2/3/2014 requesting assistance in responding to a coal ash pond release that occurred on 2/2/2014. . Last March, a clutch of environmental groups threatened to sue Duke for coal-ash chemical leaks that they said had polluted Mountain Island Lake, which supplies drinking water to Charlotte. 1 Associate Regional Counsel North Carolina has more than 30 such sites in 14 different locations across the. The engineering report describes steps executed by Duke to improve the structural durability of post-release impoundments and storm sewer lines running under their coal ash impoundments. and the energy industry, to make 2014 the year it decides just how it clock to safely devise both short- and long-term solutions, as well 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. [8] What resulted was 39 thousand tons of coal ash and 27 million gallons of ash pond water were deposited into the Dan River. After North Carolina spill, coal ash ponds face extinction Some coal ash will be left in place because of the risk of re-suspending previous polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury contamination. On February 2, 2014, North Carolina became the site of the second largest coal ash spill in US history when a stormwater pipe under coal ash impoundments at Duke Energy's retired Dan River plant ruptured. Coal ash is a gray, powdery byproduct of burning coal to produce energy. History and Response Timeline | EPA's Response to the Duke Energy Coal Protection Agency (EPA), coal ash is one of the largest RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The state of North Carolina says it has secured an agreement with Duke Energy to excavate nearly 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of coal ash at six. State Government websites value user privacy. The utility has also announced plans to reuse some coal ash at its Asheville Power Plant at an existing lined structural fill project at the Asheville Regional Airport and to transport some of the coal ash from the Dan River facility to an existing lined landfill in Jetersville, Va. DEQ and other natural resource trustees entered into acooperative Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process with Duke Energy, the party responsible for the spill. Legal Statement. engineers, scientists and others, have been working around the High levels of coal ash solids in sediments from North Carolina's Sutton Lake suggest it has been contaminated by multiple coal ash spills, most of them apparently unmonitored and unreported. It is the left over impurities that stick around after burning coal for electricity. A version of this article appears in print on, Huge Leak of Coal Ash Slows at North Carolina Power Plant, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/us/huge-leak-of-coal-ash-slows-at-north-carolina-power-plant.html. No. [26], As of April 1, 2019 North Carolina has ordered Duke Energy to dig up millions of tons of coal ash at six of its power plants. company, along with industry experts, environmental specialists, Protection of public health and safety remains a primary concern, along with the long-term ecological health of the Dan River.". The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since been responsible for overseeing cleanup of the waste. North Carolina coal ash spill State. [3] This catastrophe occurred at the site of the Dan River Steam Station, a retired coal power plant which had ceased operation in 2012. Insects and microorganisms are the backbone of any ecosystem and their health can affect species all the way up the food chain. The Coal Ash Management Act puts Duke Energy on a timetable to close all its coal ash ponds. Map of coal ash ponds in the southeastern U.S. and major hurricane tracks (> category 3) during the last two decades. [9] Coal companies have found that the cheapest way to store this waste is to mix it with water and store it in a pond. Also,approximately 27 million gallons of ash pond water waste released. Gambling 'America's Amazon' - CNN To learn more, view our full privacy policy. The post-removal site control plan provides EPA with documentation of all post-removal arrangements. ruling later this year will mean for the fate of these dumps, as well lead. WATCH: The danger of coal ash, the toxic dust the fossil fuel leaves behind, Stephen De May, North Carolina president of Duke Energy, said in a statement that the agreement significantly reduces the cost to close our coal ash basins in the Carolinas for our customers, while delivering the same environmental benefits as full excavation.. is to be considered a hazardous or nonhazardous waste under the North Carolina coal ash spill under federal criminal investigation The N.C. General Assembly amended the North Carolina Dam Safety Law in 2009 to include jurisdiction over impoundments at the coal-fired power plants, including coal ash ponds. Times have changed, especially after TVA's Kingston coal ash spill occurred just 30 minutes away from Claxton. A major thrust of DEQs work gathered comprehensive data about coal ash facilities statewide. The plant shut down in 2012, but the company just left the ash waste sitting in the ponds, the larger of the two measuring 27 acres across. The federal Fish and Wildlife Service sent experts to help assess the damage to fish stocks that live in the river, including the endangered Roanoke logperch. Duke Energy's coal ash pond in Eden, North Carolina, was a ticking time bomb. These include silica, arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, and zinc. Authority facility in Kingston an According to a company Since Friday, the river, cresting after record rainfalls - combined with breaches in the dam between the lake and the river - has . state enforcement efforts to clean up coal ash pollutants at Duke Energy sites across North Carolina. The location of coal ash storage facilities in North Carolina is also included. The environmental disaster thrust Duke Energy, the countrys largest electricity company, into the spotlight, revealing a history of violations and inadequate oversight of ponds at all of its plants across the state.In part one, VICE News travels to North Carolina to visit a river thats been poisoned with arsenic from a nearby Duke Energy site, speak with a resident who has found toxic heavy metals in her drinking water, and question a Duke Energy spokesperson about the power companys policies.Watch \"Showdown in Coal Country\" - http://bit.ly/16LRifWWatch \"Petcoke: Toxic Waste in the Windy City\" - http://bit.ly/1E2YejORead \"Humans Are Destroying the Environment at a Rate Unprecedented in Over 10,000 Years\" - http://bit.ly/1vgvC1RRead \"The Economic Cost of Carbon Pollution Is Much Greater Than Estimated, Say Stanford University Researchers\" - http://bit.ly/1ATb1b0Read \"The EPA Tightened Rules on Coal Waste, But Not Enough, Say Environmentalists - http://bit.ly/1vXglsHSubscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-NewsCheck out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.comFollow VICE News here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenewsTwitter: https://twitter.com/vicenewsTumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenewsMore videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideos [7] Duke Energy said that it created an advisory group of researchers to help with cleaner coal combustion at its facilities. Please enter valid email address to continue. The pipe was sealed later in the month. EPA and Duke Energy signed an administrative order for the site cleanup. authorities, as it attempts to manage a major release of coal ash Researchers from Duke University and Appalachian State University tested sediment in five lakes . Insert map shows the sampling sites locations in Sutton Lake collected in 2015 and 2018. Left: Worsening environment is deadly but not hopeless, UN report says. A 48 slip-joint concrete and corrugated steel storm sewer line that runs under the ash pond failed. The measure has not yet been considered in the Livestock has access to the river, and the river is used for crop irrigation. And, according to the Environmental In 2012, in response to a Freedom of News provided by The Associated Press. Enforcement Case Summary: Duke Energy Agrees to $3 Million Cleanup for Coal Ash Release in the Dan River On May 2, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into a $3 million cleanup agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) to address the February 2014 coal ash spill into the Dan River at Eden, N.C. Raleigh, NC | 919-856-4520 x30 | http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/, If you have any problems, suggestions, or comments about our website please notify DOINRDAR@ios.doi.gov. The 48" sewer line and a 36" sewer line that both run under the coal ash impoundment have been sealed. Were doing water samples every four hours in 11 different places on the river, she said. A coal-ash spill swirled in the Dan River at Danville, Va., downstream from a North Carolina power plant where officials said an underground pipe collapsed, leaking as much as 82,000 tons of the .

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