Duke Energy Seeks Permits For Coal Ash Cleanup

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality are weighing proposals from Duke Energy on how the waste from coal ash pits will be removed. The company wants new permits that set different limits on how much waste it can dump into waterways, which is raising concerns from environmental groups.

Duke Energy has until 2029 to close and clean up its coal ash ponds. That process requires it to drain the toxic pits, and flush out the wastewater. The company is applying for storm water and waste water permit modifications or renewals at its 14 power plants. It says the standards are strict to keep both people and the environment safe, and is in compliance with federal guidelines.

But Myra Blake with the Southern Environmental Law Center says this will allow Duke Energy to dump toxic contaminants into the waterways. In Belews Creek in Stokes County, residents received do-not-drink orders last year. The state later rescinded those letters.

“For a lot of these dangerous pollutants there is no limit whatsoever in the Belews Creek permit as the water is being emptied out of the ash basin,” says Blake. “The few limits that do exist are much less protective than what has been found to be achievable at other coal ash sites in North Carolina.”

Blake says residents near Belews Creek also want the coal ash excavated and moved out of their community.

The Department of Environmental Quality is holding several public hearings on the permit process. One is at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November, 15th at the Stokes County Courthouse.

DEQ says it will weigh those comments before any decisions are made. The EPA will also have to review any changes before a water quality permit is issued.

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