WHERE: Eden Town Hall (Eden Room), 308 East Stadium Drive, Eden, N.C.
WHEN: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27
WHO: Hosted by N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
State environmental officials will be in Eden Wednesday, July 27 to inform residents of Duke Energy’s plan to build a lined landfill to safely store coal ash at the Dan River Steam Station.
Duke Energy has proposed moving coal ash from unlined basins at the Dan River Steam Station into a newly constructed lined landfill at the same facility. The utility has applied with the state environmental agency for a permit to construct and operate the landfill.
As part of the permit review process, the McCrory administration is completing an environmental justice analysis to examine the potential impacts the proposed coal ash landfill could have on people living within one mile of the project. The analysis aims to protect low income and minority communities from disproportionate impacts due to the project. The state environmental department is conducting similar reviews of each new site where Duke Energy proposes to store coal ash in landfills and is sharing its findings with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Civil Rights, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and its North Carolina Advisory Committee.
The state agency has scheduled Wednesday’s meeting to share information about the proposed landfill with the community and address any concerns people may have. The state will consider any comments and information gathered as part of its permit review process.