Rockingham County Hopes To Shake The Coal Ash Spill Legacy

It's been nearly a year since the Duke Energy Coal Ash spill was discovered in the Dan River near Eden. More than 39,000 tons of toxic sludge made its way into the river.

The company and environmental officials have been cleaning up the mess and monitoring water quality over the past several months. The spill created environmental and health concerns. It also hurt the area's tourism industry.

But the city of Eden and Rockingham County say they're open for business.  

Local economic, environmental and community leaders joined officials from the EPA and Duke Energy Tuesday to discuss the Dan River's water quality. Mike Dougherty, director of economic development for the city of Eden, says the county has moved past the initial concerns from the spill.

“There is not a problem with the quality of the water,” says Dougherty. “We know that our local outfitters suffered a 15 percent loss that they estimate directly from the coal ash spill. The city has hired a public relations firm, established a river video on the Dan River, created social media pages, and new website. We are starting a whole new campaign to let people know what our rivers provide.”

The EPA says it will conduct two more testing sessions to measure water quality standards by the end of July. Environmentalists say they are concerned about the long-term impact of the coal ash spill on wild and aquatic life.

Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news