RALEIGH - The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced today that it has received from Duke Energy all of the permanent alternative water supply plans as required by state law. State environmental officials must evaluate the comprehensive information and make a final decision to approve or disapprove the water supply plans by Jan. 15, 2017. State law requires Duke Energy to pay for either the installation of a new water line or a home filtration system.
Duke Energy fulfilled the requirement to submit plans by Dec. 15, 2016 for installing water supplies to all homes within a half mile of a coal ash impoundment. The plans must consider the location of households in relation to the nearest public water supply connections, the projected cost of the water supply option, and any proposal to connect to public water. State environment officials will review the plans over the next month to determine if they are sufficient and meet the requirements of state law to provide safe water to residents.
Under the law, Duke Energy is required to provide permanent alternate water supplies to residents within a half-mile boundary at the following facilities: Allen Steam Station (Gaston); Asheville Power Station (Buncombe); Belews Creek Steam Station (Stokes); Buck Steam Station (Rowan); Cape Fear Power Station (Chatham); Cliffside Steam Station (Cleveland/Rutherford); Dan River Steam Station (Rockingham); H.F. Lee Power Station (Wayne); Marshall Steam Station (Catawba); Mayo Power Station (Person); Roxboro Power Station (Person); Sutton Power Station (New Hanover); Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant (Robeson). Riverbend Steam Station in Gaston County has no eligible residents with the boundary defined in state law.
You may read the requirements for the permanent alternative water supplies in state law here.
You may view a map of coal ash facility compliance boundaries and half-mile boundaries here. (Note: computer-generated estimates of half-mile boundaries.)