Duke Energy Will Hire Independent Engineers to Tackle Coal Ash Issue

Duke Energy is adding a new element to dealing with its coal ash basins.

Wednesday, the company announced it will hire an independent team of engineers to review the condition of its sites. Spokesman Dave Scanzoni says the team will begin working as soon as North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory approves the company's proposal. "The outside engineering consultants are going to analyze every component of our ash basin to make sure they're in the best possible shape they can be," says Scanzoni. "If we see any issues that need to be addressed, we'll take care of them immediately.”

This effort is in response the Dan River spill on February 2. That's when 30,000-70,000 tons of coal ash spilled into the river through a cracked storm drain pipe at the retired Dan River Coal Plant in Eden.
According to Scanzoni, other points of Duke's clean up proposal to the state include moving the coal-ash from the Dan River plant and two other retired power plants to landfills that are lined and encased, to step up the closure of an additional basin, to convert to dry ash handling at all remaining facilities in North Carolina and to begin de-watering the other retired basins. Scanzoni says it will be several years before the state's basins are dismantled.