Duke Energy plant reports coal-ash spill
Duke Energy plant reports coal-ash spill: Duke Energy said Monday that 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash
Duke Energy plant reports coal-ash spill: Duke Energy said Monday that 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash
By Bruce Henderson
bhenderson@charlotteobserver.
bhenderson@charlotteobserver.
By Bruce Henderson The Charlotte Observer
Posted: Monday, Feb. 03, 2014
Duke Energy said Monday that 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash and up to 27 million gallons of water were released from a pond at its retired power plant in Eden into the Dan River, and were still flowing.
“We’ve had some temporary solutions that have intermittently worked at times during the day, but we are still working on a short-term solution and the long-term repair,” spokeswoman Erin Culbert said shortly after 9 p.m. Monday.
The pond has a liquid capacity of 155 million gallons when full, according to a recent inspection report, but was at a lower level because the Dan River power plant’s coal-fired units were retired in 2012. It’s not known how much ash was in the basin, but Culbert said most of it appears to still be in the pond.
Duke said it notified local emergency managers and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which last year sued Duke over its ash handling, on Sunday afternoon. The first public notice of the spill came from Duke at 4:03 p.m. Monday.
The Dan River plant is about 130 miles northeast of Charlotte near the Virginia line.
The North Carolina environmental agency said it notified downstream water districts of the spill. The nearest municipality that draws water from the Dan River, Danville, reported no problems with its water.
Duke and the North Carolina agency took water samples from the river but said results are not yet back. Coal ash contains metals that can be toxic in high concentrations.
The pond’s dam beside the river “remains secure,” Duke said. Some erosion has occurred on the side of a berm farthest from the river, it said, and engineers are working to stabilize it.
Independent engineers who inspected the pond’s dam in 2009 for the Environmental Protection Agency found it in good condition, but they noted some seepage and recommended a stability study on the structure’s river side. Built in 1956, it was divided into two ponds in the 1970s.
The report said the dam had “significant hazard potential” if it were breached, mainly for property and environmental damage.
A security guard spotted an unusually low water level in the ash pond about 2 p.m. Sunday, Culbert said, leading to the discovery of the pipe break.
Ash was visible on the banks of the Dan River on Monday, and the water was tinted gray.
“While it is early in the investigation and state officials do not yet know of any possible impacts to water quality, staff members have been notifying downstream communities with drinking water intakes,” the North Carolina environmental agency reported late Monday afternoon.
Danville, Va.’s water intake is about 6 miles downstream of the pond.
Barry Dunkley, the city’s water director, said in a release that “all water leaving our treatment facility has met public health standards. We do not anticipate any problems going forward in treating the water we draw from the Dan River.”
Duke has closed seven of its 14 North Carolina coal-fired power plants, including Dan River, and is evaluating ways to close the ash ponds at those sites.
Groundwater contamination has been found around all 14 of its unlined ash ponds, although much of the contamination may occur naturally.
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http://www.charlotteobserver.
Broken pipe spills coal ash in Dan River
GoDanRiver staff | Posted: Monday, February 3, 2014 6:21 pmA storm water pipe broke Sunday afternoon at the closed Dan Steam Station in Eden, N.C., releasing coal ash basin water and coal ash into the Dan River.
A news release from Duke Energy, owner of the station, stated the dam holding back the water in the ash basin is solid, though there is some erosion farthest from the river.
Freestanding water drained from the primary ash basin into the stormwater pipe. Duke Energy has a team working to eliminate the discharge from the pipe.
Danville emergency management staff has been monitoring the situation and have been in consultation with Duke Energy, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality about the situation.
Barry Dunkley, director of water and wastewater treatment for Danville Utilities, said he was notified about the spill Sunday and was prepared for any problems.
“All water leaving our treatment facility has met public health standards,” Dunkley said in a news release. “We do not anticipate any problems going forward in treating the water we draw from the Dan River.”
An estimate of the volume of water and ash that reached the river is being worked on and Duke Energy has a water quality monitoring team gathering data in the river, and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is performing a site inspection.
“We’ve been focused on stopping the release of the ash,” Meghan Musgrave, spokesperson for Duke Energy, said. “We will share more details as they become available.”
Duke Energy said local emergency managers were notified as a precaution, but that of about 5 p.m. Monday, downstream municipal water supplies had not been affected.
The Dan River Steam Station went online in 1949 and was closed in 2012, when it was replaced by a new natural gas facility.
.Environmental groups sharply criticized the utility for waiting for a day before reporting the spill to the public and not immediately releasing information such as results of water quality tests on the river.
“State environmental officials failed to immediately notify the public about a major toxic spill in one of our precious waterways.
Coal ash is extremely dangerous and the communities near the spill deserve information about their health and safety,” Stephanie Schweickert, affiliate organizer with the North Carolina Conservation Network, said in a statement.
Coal ash is the waste left after burning coal. It contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and over a dozen other heavy metals, many of them toxic.
Environmental Groups Call for Immediate Disclosure of Magnitude of Coal Ash Disaster
by Jennifer Rennicks
February 3, 2014
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Rapid Response Cleanup Essential to Protect Communities
Contacts:
Ulla Reeves, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, ulla@cleanenergy.org, (828) 713-7486
Amy Adams, Appalachian Voices, amy@appvoices.org, (828) 262-1500
Donna Lisenby, Waterkeeper Alliance, dlisenby@waterkeeper.org, (704) 277-6055
Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director, thaworth@danriver.org, (336) 627-6270
Bridget Whelan, North Carolina Conservation Network, bridget@ncconservationnetwork.org, (313) 919-5919
Kelly Martin, Sierra Club, kelly.martin@sierraclub.org, (828) 251-1272
Eden, N.C. (February 3, 2014) Upon receiving news of a new coal ash disaster in near Eden, North Carolina, concerned community and environmental organizations call upon Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to immediately notify the public of the severity of the disaster. Groups cite recent West Virginia chemical spill as evidence for the need for immediate and full disclosure on the part of the responsible party.
Initial indications are that 22 million gallons of coal ash could already be in the Dan River headed toward the downstream communities of Eden and Danville. Eyewitness sightings claimed the Dan River was “running black” earlier today in Eden.
Both of the Dan River coal ash impoundments are unlined and carry a high hazard rating from the EPA, meaning a dam failure would cause damage to local communities and infrastructure and likely cause loss of life. Coal ash waste reads like a “who’s who list” of toxic heavy metals. From arsenic, boron, and chromium to selenium, mercury and lead, coal ash is a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and local drinking water.
Groups have continued to call on Duke Energy to address legacy issues of toxic coal ash to ensure proper long-term storage of the hazardous waste upon closure of any coal plant.
QUOTES
“Based on our experiences with the Kingston dam break, we know that toxic coal ash dumped into waters is an environmental disaster that requires swift attention and cleanup,” stated Ulla Reeves, High Risk Energy Program Director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “Downstream communities’ drinking water could be at risk and residents need to be forewarned immediately.”
“State environmental officials failed to immediately notify the public about a major toxic spill in one of our precious waterways,” said Stephanie Schweickert, affiliate organizer with the North Carolina Conservation Network. “Coal ash is extremely dangerous and the communities near the spill deserve information about their health and safety.”
“The Dan River Basin Association has a full time staff person in Rockingham County dedicated to the protection and promotion of the natural and cultural resources here. We are very concerned about the potential impact this spill will have on drinking water and the outdoor recreational economy,
“says Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin Association. “We have worked hard with community members to assure that our local rivers are clean and here for future generations, and we will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.”
“Five days after I sampled the river after the Kingston coal ash spill, I found arsenic, lead, chromium and other metals were 2 to 300 times higher than drinking water standards and the plume of coal ash stretched more than 20 miles,” said Donna Lisenby, Global Coal Campaign Coordinator for Waterkeeper Alliance. “The Dan River spill happened on Sunday and Duke Energy still has not reported the results of any water quality tests-this is unacceptable. Downstream communities need to know what pollutants Duke dumped into the Dan River.”
“Because coal ash is so toxic to human health, wildlife and the environment, the Sierra Club calls on Duke Energy to take immediate steps to protect workers and nearby residents, stop the spill and remediate any damage done,” said Kelly Martin, senior campaign representative with the Sierra Club.
'“Today’s events underscore the need to require Duke Energy to immediately and safely close out its toxic coal ash ponds in Charlotte and across the state.”
Contacts:
Ulla Reeves, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, ulla@cleanenergy.org, (828) 713-7486
Amy Adams, Appalachian Voices, amy@appvoices.org, (828) 262-1500
Donna Lisenby, Waterkeeper Alliance, dlisenby@waterkeeper.org, (704) 277-6055
Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director, thaworth@danriver.org, (336) 627-6270
Bridget Whelan, North Carolina Conservation Network, bridget@ncconservationnetwork.org, (313) 919-5919
Kelly Martin, Sierra Club, kelly.martin@sierraclub.org, (828) 251-1272
Eden, N.C. (February 3, 2014) Upon receiving news of a new coal ash disaster in near Eden, North Carolina, concerned community and environmental organizations call upon Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to immediately notify the public of the severity of the disaster. Groups cite recent West Virginia chemical spill as evidence for the need for immediate and full disclosure on the part of the responsible party.
Initial indications are that 22 million gallons of coal ash could already be in the Dan River headed toward the downstream communities of Eden and Danville. Eyewitness sightings claimed the Dan River was “running black” earlier today in Eden.
Both of the Dan River coal ash impoundments are unlined and carry a high hazard rating from the EPA, meaning a dam failure would cause damage to local communities and infrastructure and likely cause loss of life. Coal ash waste reads like a “who’s who list” of toxic heavy metals. From arsenic, boron, and chromium to selenium, mercury and lead, coal ash is a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and local drinking water.
Groups have continued to call on Duke Energy to address legacy issues of toxic coal ash to ensure proper long-term storage of the hazardous waste upon closure of any coal plant.
QUOTES
“Based on our experiences with the Kingston dam break, we know that toxic coal ash dumped into waters is an environmental disaster that requires swift attention and cleanup,” stated Ulla Reeves, High Risk Energy Program Director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “Downstream communities’ drinking water could be at risk and residents need to be forewarned immediately.”
“State environmental officials failed to immediately notify the public about a major toxic spill in one of our precious waterways,” said Stephanie Schweickert, affiliate organizer with the North Carolina Conservation Network. “Coal ash is extremely dangerous and the communities near the spill deserve information about their health and safety.”
“The Dan River Basin Association has a full time staff person in Rockingham County dedicated to the protection and promotion of the natural and cultural resources here. We are very concerned about the potential impact this spill will have on drinking water and the outdoor recreational economy,
“says Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin Association. “We have worked hard with community members to assure that our local rivers are clean and here for future generations, and we will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.”
“Five days after I sampled the river after the Kingston coal ash spill, I found arsenic, lead, chromium and other metals were 2 to 300 times higher than drinking water standards and the plume of coal ash stretched more than 20 miles,” said Donna Lisenby, Global Coal Campaign Coordinator for Waterkeeper Alliance. “The Dan River spill happened on Sunday and Duke Energy still has not reported the results of any water quality tests-this is unacceptable. Downstream communities need to know what pollutants Duke dumped into the Dan River.”
“Because coal ash is so toxic to human health, wildlife and the environment, the Sierra Club calls on Duke Energy to take immediate steps to protect workers and nearby residents, stop the spill and remediate any damage done,” said Kelly Martin, senior campaign representative with the Sierra Club.
'“Today’s events underscore the need to require Duke Energy to immediately and safely close out its toxic coal ash ponds in Charlotte and across the state.”
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"Environmental Groups Call for Immediate Disclosure of Magnitude of Coal Ash Disaster"
Posted in Press Releases
Posted in Press Releases
