The state environmental department has sent an environmental justice analysis for a proposed coal ash landfill at Duke Energy’s Dan River facility to the federal EPA’s Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The state previously submitted an environmental justice review of the Sutton coal ash facility in Wilmington. The federal civil rights offices would not provide comments up front on the Sutton review, saying it preferred instead to investigate any complaints that may be filed after the fact.
“As we move forward with closing every coal ash pond in the state, we believe it is important to consider the potential impact on low-income and minority families before we issue permits for new coal ash landfills,” said Tom Reeder, assistant secretary of the state environmental department. “It is unfortunate that the federal civil rights offices are unwilling to join North Carolina in proactively protecting minority and low-income communities near coal ash facilities.”
Although the federal government has declined to comment North Carolina’s environmental justice reviews before any permits are issued, the state will continue to conduct the reviews and provide them to the federal civil rights offices.