The state Environmental Management Commission will hold a special called meeting this Thursday, April 12 to discuss final approvals necessary for an order that seeks to expedite coal ash cleanup at three of Duke Energy’s biggest power plants.
The EMC will consider giving final approval to a special order by consent that calls for the acceleration of decanting coal ash basins at the Allen Steam Station in Gaston County, Marshall Steam Station in Catawba County and the Rogers Steam Station in Rutherford County. Among the requested revisions, the new special order by consent increases the penalty Duke Energy is ordered to pay for the 21 areas at the three facilities where coal ash contamination was identified seeping into groundwater.
Under the special order by consent, the N.C. Environmental Management Commission directs Duke Energy to initiate and completely remove free water from the coal ash basins, on an accelerated schedule. This accelerated decanting schedule will also require Duke Energy to divert storm water away from the coal ash basins, construct lined basins to treat other wastes at the facilities, and dry handle all coal ash from these three plants. These preparatory steps will divert water away from the coal ash basins and aid in lowering the water levels in the basins.
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality previously directed Duke Energy to identify areas at all three facilities where coal ash wastes are seeping from the unlined coal ash basins. Decanting the ash basins is expected to eliminate or significantly reduce these seeps, helping to protect public health and the environment.
WHO: Environmental Management Commission (EMC)
WHAT: Meeting to discuss coal ash cleanup
WHEN: April 12, 2018 at 9 a.m. April 12
WHERE: Ground Floor Hearing Room, Archdale Building,
512 North Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC
To stream the meeting live, click here and use the password 1234.