Duke Energy announces plans to remove coal ash from Wilmington, three other sites

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Duke Energy has announced plans to remove coal ash from a Wilmington power plant and three other sites in North Carolina.

In a news release, Duke Energy says it has submitted detailed coal ash excavation plans to the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources for ash stored at the L.V. Sutton Steam Electric Plant in New Hanover County, as well as plants in Asheville and Mount Holly and the Dan River Plant in Eden, where a coal ash spill earlier this year led to increased scrutiny over the company’s coal ash storage methods.

Duke says in its release it hopes to move about 5.1 million tons of coal ash from the sites in Phase 1 of its plan within 12 to 18 months of getting approval from DENR. State law requires the coal ash basins must be closed by Aug. 1, 2019.

According to the release, Duke Energy plans to move 2 million tons of coal ash from the Sutton Plant during Phase 1 by rail to lined fill projects to be built in Chatham and Lee counties. Spokesperson Jeff Brooks says it will actually be beneficial for these locations.

“There will be additional safety measures installed there, as well as groundwater monitoring. The coal ash will be placed in the mine, fill up the mine, and then cover additional liners and soil, so that it creates the potential that could be reclaimed or it’s certainly in a better state than it is today,” Brooks said.

The work on the coal ash from Wilmington should take about a year, the company says.

The announcement comes one day before the first session of the state’s newly-formed Coal Ash Management Commission Meeting is to convene in Chapel Hill.

Earlier this month state regulators ordered Duke Energy to redo its plans to for assessing the extent of groundwater contamination leaking from 33 coal ash dumps across the state after deeming the company’s current plans “inadequate.”

Mike Giles, a coastal advocate for North Carolina’s Coastal Federation, says coal ash contamination has been a problem for years, not months.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to sample those coal ash basins and the materials within to know that this is a problem that’s going to be a long-term problem,” Giles said. “Here’s Duke Energy, a large, large energy provider and corporation that should have the scientists and technical know how to know what these coal ash ponds and basins have been doing for years, 20 and 30 years. Now they’re saying they just realized it. I find that hard to believe.”

Brooks says Duke Energy will complete the cleanup project.

“It’s part of our commitment to address coal ash in an environmentally sound way and to be good neighbors to the communities that we serve where these plants have provided electricity for so many years,” Brooks said.