Comments: Which do you believe: should have closed intake on Sunday.....no one in the govt took samples on Sunday night? Took 4 days for test results,,,,,wrong, so wrong.... Now look at the different reports. River Keepers took 4 samples and found different results. Where did DE take samples?
Report: Dan River ‘highly toxic’ due to Duke Energy coal ash spill
Posted on: 3:57 pm, February 6, 2014, by Web Staff, updated on: 05:51pm, February 6, 2014http://myfox8.com/2014/02/06/dan-river-highly-toxic-due-to-duke-energy-coal-ash-spill/
Danville still says it is ok: http://www.danville-va.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1515
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
For one fisherman, water woes a concern long before spill - GoDanRiver.com: Coal Ash Spill
For one fisherman, water woes a concern long before spill
BY JOHN R. CRANE jcrane@registerbee.com (434) 791-7987 | Posted: Thursday, February 6, 2014 8:53 pmCarl Boyd has fished from the Dan River for most of his 45 years.
“I was brought up fishing in the river,” Boyd said during an interview on a sunny Thursday morning at Angler’s Park. “It’s where I learned to fish.”
His catches include flathead catfish and striped bass. But Boyd wasn’t fishing Thursday morning.
The Dan was a source of food for Boyd, until about a year ago, when he stopped eating what he caught from the river. Now he just tosses them back.
Like other streams and rivers in Virginia, the Dan River had fish-consumption advisories before Sunday’s coal ash spill from Duke Energy’s old Dan River Steam Station in Eden, N.C. That incident resulted in nearly 85,000 tons of coal ash flowing into the bottom.
Boyd stopped consuming the Dan’s aquatic life due to pollutants — such as mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls that were used as coolants in electrical systems) — that led the state to impose an advisory against eating catfish more than 32 inches long. It also says to avoid eating more than two fish meals of any other species per month out of the Dan River — and that was before Sunday’s coal ash spill.
“It kind of pisses you off,” Boyd said of the river’s pollution. “What can you do about it? Nothing.”
Residents and environmental groups have expressed concerns about toxic levels of substances in the water from the spill, officials from the state, city and Duke Energy say the water is safe to drink.
Matt Wasson, director of programs for Appalachian Voices, a non-profit environmental organization, provided preliminary test results of samples of water at the spill site and upstream and downstream of the area.
The organization conducted tests earlier this week with a team from Duke University, including Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality. Attempts to contact Vengosh were unsuccessful Thursday.
Selenium levels in the water were undetectable across the board, according to the uncertified results, Wasson said. Oddly, boron levels were found to be higher two miles upstream from the site than anywhere else.
“That’s puzzling to me,” Wasson said. “That’s a head-scratcher for me.”
Wasson speculated that no one may ever know the levels for those and other substances in the first 24 hours after the spill, when levels would have been highest.
“My suspicion is a lot of it washed out and down river before they [Duke Power] let the public know what was going on,” Wasson said.
Duke chose to withhold this information for 24 hours, and no one knows the level of exposure of the fish during that time, Wasson said.
“They put public relations above the concerns of the public and the welfare of the environment,” Wasson said.
The preliminary, uncertified results showed that lead, arsenic and chromium levels did not violate federal safe drinking water standards, Wasson said:
» Elevated levels of lead were found downstream of the spill site. While .05 micrograms per liter were found two miles upstream, 0.26 was found at the site, 0.3 two miles downstream and 0.1 at Danville’s intake at the water treatment plant.
The safe drinking water standard for lead is 15 micrograms per liter or less.
» Chromium was at 0.6 micrograms per liter upstream of the spill site, 1 at the site, 0.75 two miles downstream and 0.5 at the intake of Danville’s water treatment plant.
» Arsenic levels upstream of the incident showed a “very good level,” Wasson said — 1/100 of a microgram per liter, far below the 10 micrograms or less according to the safe drinking water level.
“This is 1,000th of that,” Wasson said.
However, arsenic levels at the spill site surged to 4.6 micrograms per liter, were at 0.4 two miles downstream and were elevated at 2.2 micrograms per liter at the Danville water treatment plant’s intake.
“This is why I’m upset Duke took so long to release its results,” Wasson said.
Arsenic can be deadly when ingested at high levels and lower concentrations can cause nausea, vomiting, anemia and decreased white blood cells, which fight infections, according to Physicians for Social Responsibility.
While officials try to figure out the incident’s effects on public safety, its impacts are being felt within the Dan River’s aquatic environment.
When Boyd went fishing Sunday, nothing bit.
“That water ain’t clean.”
http://www.godanriver.com/news/coal-ash/for-one-fisherman-water-woes-a-concern-long-before-spill/article_9ba16486-8f9a-11e3-ae0b-001a4bcf6878.html
Report: Dan River ‘highly toxic’ due to Duke Energy coal ash spill
EDEN, N.C. — A certified laboratory analysis of water samples taken from the Dan River on Feb. 4 reveal that the water immediately downstream of Duke Energy’s ash spill is “contaminated with extremely high levels of arsenic, chromium, iron, lead and other toxic metals” typically found in coal ash, according to a report from Waterkeeper Alliance.North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory visited the Dan River near the site of the spill on Thursday, calling the incident a “serious accident,” but saying that based on Duke water standards and side sampling, the drinking water in the area appears to be safe.
On Thursday, the Waterkeeper Alliance and Yadkin Riverkeeper issued the results of water sampling from the Dan River in the wake of the third largest coal ash spill in U.S. history.
MORE COVERAGE: Dan River coal ash spill
According to the news release, when compared to the levels found in a “background” water sample taken upstream of the spill, arsenic levels immediately downstream of the spill are nearly 30 times higher, chromium levels are more than 27 times higher, and lead levels are more than 13 times higher because of Duke Energy’s coal ash waste.
“If a terrorist group committed in North Carolina – for ideological reasons – a crime that Duke Energy has committed for profit, our nation would consider it an act of war against our country,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Duke could have avoided contaminating the Dan River and poisoning Virginia’s water supplies if it had removed its toxic ash heaps years ago after being warned by EPA.”
MAP: Map of where samples were collected
Dan River Sample Results
2.4.2014
Coal ash is a waste product from coal combustion and can present a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and drinking water because it contains heavy metals and other toxic compounds, according to the report.
Testing found an “arsenic concentration” in the water immediately below the discharge of .349 mg/L.
Arsenic is a toxic metal commonly found in coal ash and is lethal in high concentrations. The .349 mg/L concentration found in Waterkeeper’s sample is greater than EPA’s water quality criterion for protection of fish and wildlife from acute risks of injury or death. It is more than twice as high as EPA’s chronic exposure criterion for fish and wildlife, and is almost 35 times greater than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) standard that EPA considers acceptable in drinking water.
Waterkeeper Alliance also found a lead concentration in the polluted water of 0.129 mg/L. Lead is another metal commonly found in toxic coal ash.
Lead poisoning can cause developmental delays and permanent damage in exposed infants and children, as well as kidney damage and high blood pressure in adults. In very high doses, lead poisoning can cause death.
“On Tuesday when I collected these samples, coal ash continued to spill out of the pipe into the Dan River,” said Donna Lisenby, Global Coal Campaign Coordinator for Waterkeeper Alliance. “Our sample crew on the Dan River today reports that there is still coal ash waste dripping out of the pipe.”
“These sample results raise great concern for the health and safety of our communities, river users and the wildlife in the Dan River Basin ecosystem.” said Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin Association.
Levels of other contaminants found in the sampling just below the discharge include: Manganese: .576 mg/L; Boron: .314 mg/L; Calcium: 34.7 mg/L; Zinc: .224 mg/L; and Iron: 84.6 mg/L.
MORE COVERAGE: Dan River coal ash spill
Water remains safe as work continues to stop leak at Eden site
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
As Duke Energy continues to try to plug a massive leak in a coal ash storage pond at its closed Eden, N.C., Dan River Steam Station, environmental agencies and groups are monitoring the water that continues to seep into the Dan River carrying coal ash from a containment basin.
Meghan Musgrave, spokesperson for Duke Energy, said the pipe was installed about the same time the plant was built in the 1940s; it carried storm water to the Dan River. The coal ash basins were installed in the 1960s, with the primary basin placed over the pipe.
Initially officials believed the pipe was 48-inch, reinforced concrete for its entire length, but once the pipe was dug out enough to send a camera in to locate the break, it was learned at least some of the pipe was corrugated metal.
“It connects to a reinforced concrete pipe closer to the river,” Musgrave said.
Asked what the weight load of a corrugated metal pipe is in comparison to reinforced concrete — and what the estimated weight of the coal ash stored over it was — Musgrave said answers were not yet available.
“We are doing a thorough investigation,” Musgrave said. “But now we are focused on stopping the leak.”
Officials from Duke Energy are due in Danville on Friday, to meet with Danville City Council at 1 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
Water continues to test safe for drinking
Danville Utilities, the Virginia Department of Health, Duke Energy and environmental agencies and groups have taken numerous water samples from the Dan River for testing, and they continue to come back showing Danville’s drinking water is safe to drink.
Danville sent out samples Tuesday to two independent labs for extra testing of heavy metal presence — for metals like arsenic and selenium, which are often found in coal ash. Preliminary results from both labs have been received.
The second independent lab came back with similar results, Hendrix said, but since that lab was certified in North Carolina, not Virginia, the city chose to wait for a Virginia-certified lab’s results before releasing them.
John Aulbach, director of the Virginia Department of Health, said residents concerned with heavy metal traces should not boil water as a way to purify them since boiling water only kills bacteria, and could intensify the effects of heavy metals instead.
Governor offers support
Gov. Terry McAuliffe assured Danville officials Thursday that he is monitoring the situation with the Dan River, speaking to Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders and South Boston Mayor Ed Owens, as well as North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.
“I assured the governor and the mayors that Virginia is ready to provide any assistance that may be necessary to protect the quality of the water supply in the areas in both states that could be affected by the spill,” McAuliffe said in a news release. “At this time the water supply remains safe for human consumption, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it progresses.”
Saunders said he appreciated the call from McAuliffe, and one he also received Thursday from Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good.
“[Good] called and apologized, and said they are working diligently on the problem,” Saunders said. “Both said they would do what is necessary to protect the health of people here and also to protect our investment in the river, including the River District and the Riverwalk Trail.”
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
Tests show different arsenic levels in NC spill
Posted: Feb 06, 2014 5:41 PM EST Updated: Feb 06, 2014 8:51 PM ESTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The nation's largest electricity provider, state regulators and an environmental group issued differing data Thursday about the levels of toxins detected in a North Carolina river following a massive spill of coal ash.
Test results released by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Duke Energy showed arsenic and other potentially harmful contaminates were detected in the Dan River, but at levels considered safe for both people and fish.
The state's samples were collected from six sites, the closest being about two miles downstream from the Duke power plant where about 82,000 tons of toxic coal ash mixed with 27 million gallons of contaminated water has spilled into the river since Sunday. The spill produced a plume of contamination that turned the water slate gray for miles.
Water samples tested by a lab hired by the Waterkeeper Alliance contained levels of arsenic 10 times higher than Duke's readings, along with high readings for other hazardous chemicals contained in coal ash. Those samples were collected Tuesday just feet from where the toxic waste spewed into the river, the environmental group said.
Testing of tap water in Danville, Va., the closest city downstream at about 20 miles from the spill site, showed the toxic chemicals were successfully being filtered from the municipal water supply.
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers continued Thursday to try to permanently seal a large drainage pipe that runs under a 27-acre pond where Duke had dumped ash from the coal-fired furnaces at its Dan River Steam Station for decades. The spill was triggered when that pipe collapsed.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory traveled to the plant Thursday and made his first public statements on the spill. The trip was not listed on McCrory's public schedule and the media were not given an opportunity to ask him questions.
"This is a serious spill and we need to get it under control as quickly as possible," McCrory said, according to a written statement. "Our top priorities are ensuring the health and safety of the public as well as the wildlife in the Dan River vicinity and the river itself, and the best way to do that is to get this controlled and cleaned up."
McCrory worked for Duke for 28 years before retiring to launch his first campaign for governor in 2008. Watchdog groups have questioned whether the Republican governor's close ties to Duke executives have influenced how aggressively his administration regulates the company.
Test results released by the state and Duke showed water samples contained arsenic at up to 40 parts per billion. The state limit in rivers and lakes is 50 parts per billion. Readings for lead were recorded at 23 parts per billion, just below the state limit.
"The Dan River does not have a clean bill of health," said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. "We continue to monitor the situation and are especially concerned about the deposition of coal ash residuals in the sediments underlying the Dan River and how that could affect the long-term health of the river."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also conducted extensive testing. So far, those results have not been made public.
The numbers released by Duke and state regulators were in sharp contrast to findings by the Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Alliance said its samples showed arsenic at nearly 350 parts per billion, seven times the level the state says is safe for aquatic life. The group also reported readings of lead at 129 parts per billion, more than five times the state limit.
"If a terrorist group committed in North Carolina - for ideological reasons - a crime that Duke Energy has committed for profit, our nation would consider it an act of war against our country," Kennedy said.
At Duke's headquarters in Charlotte, about 30 protesters marched and carried signs urging Duke to "Clean Up Coal Ash Now." They said the company was negligent in the spill.
"Duke has assured us that these coal ash dumps are safe. But they're not," said Bill Gupton, chairman of the Central Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club.
___
Associated Press writer Mitch Weiss reported from Charlotte.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/24657162/tests-show-different-arsenic-levels-in-nc-spill
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
Posted on: February 6, 2014
Latest test results continue to show Danville water safe to drink
Danville Utilities received test results Thursday that continue to show Danville’s water is safe to drink.
The test results are from raw water samples collected from the Dan River at the city’s intake on Tuesday by Danville Utilities. Those samples were sent to a Virginia certified private lab. The lab tested the samples for the presence of heavy metals.
The lab found no detectable level of antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, silver or selenium. Low levels – all below public health standards for drinking water – of boron, calcium, copper, magnesium, sodium and zinc were found.
The level of iron in the raw water exceeded drinking water standards, but iron is easily removed in routine water treatment, said Barry Dunkley, division director of water and wastewater treatment for Danville Utilities.
In addition to collecting raw water samples, Danville Utilities on Tuesday collected samples of water entering the distribution system following treatment. Those samples also were sent to a Virginia certified private lab. Results will be made available to the public when they are received.
Danville Utilities continues to collect raw water and treated water samples. Samples collected on Wednesday and Thursday have been sent to the lab. Results will be made available to the public when they are received.
Duke Energy also continues to collect raw water and treated water samples in Danville. Those tests results continue to confirm the water entering the city’s distribution system following treatment meets drinking water standards.
The water samples collected by Duke Energy are analyzed for the presence of heavy metals.
A break Sunday afternoon in a storm water pipe beneath an ash basin at Duke Energy’s shuttered Dan River Steam Station in Eden, N.C., caused a release of ash basin water and ash into the Dan River.
Dunkley said Thursday the concentration of fly ash in the raw water drawn from the Dan River continues to decrease, and the city continues to remove successfully the ash from the raw water.
City Manager Joe King issued a statement on Thursday, which read in part as follows:
“We take very seriously our responsibility to consistently deliver clean drinking water and maintain the public’s confidence that we are doing so. Coming off the recent water contamination episode in West Virginia, people are understandably concerned and suspicious about assurances that water is safe to drink if contrary physical evidence (grey cloudy river water in our case) is apparent.”
He continued, saying, “Duke Energy officials have been in constant communication with us since Monday morning. This afternoon, Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good telephoned Mayor Saunders to apologize for the incident and bring him up to date on progress being made in stopping the leak. Virginia Governor McAuliffe telephoned the Mayor and offered help from the Commonwealth if needed. We will continue to monitor the situation and do our best to keep citizens informed.”
At 1 p.m. Friday, Duke Energy officials will meet with City Council and city staff to provide a review and update regarding the coal ash spill into the Dan River. The meeting will take place in the Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Municipal Building. River City TV will broadcast the meeting. Watch it live on Comcast cable channel 10 or streaming at RiverCityTV.org.
Danville Utilities has been monitoring the situation, and it has been in consultation with multiple departments and agencies, including Danville Emergency Management, Duke Energy, the Office of Drinking Water at the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Emergency Management, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
In response to questions received by the city regarding the health effects of coal ash in the Dan River, the following information from the Virginia Department of Health is being made available:
What is coal ash?
Coal ash is made of minerals, just like those in soil and rocks. It is a gray, powdery material that is leftover after coal is burned. Coal fly ash is collected with air pollution control equipment at power plants and is often kept wet (in holding ponds) to prevent it from getting into the air.
Is exposure to coal ash likely to cause harm?
In general, coal ash may contain the following metals: aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silver, strontium, thallium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Exposure to coal ash can occur through contact with the skin, accidental ingestion, and inhalation. Short-term exposure to coal ash is unlikely to have any adverse health effects. In addition, we do not expect any long-term exposure to result from this spill. VDH is working with federal, state, and local agencies to evaluate available sampling data and keep residents informed.
Is my drinking water safe?
At this time, water results indicate that Danville’s drinking water meets drinking water standards. If you have a private well and live in Virginia, please consult with Southside Health District at (434) 799-5190. If you live in North Carolina and are concerned about your drinking water, please contact the Public Information Officer for N.C. Department of Water Resources at (919) 707-9014.
Is the Dan River safe to use for recreation?
VDH has not yet evaluated river water data for recreational safety. Until our evaluation is complete, VDH recommends exercising caution when using the Dan River for recreational purposes (boating, fishing, and kayaking). Direct contact with coal ash may cause skin irritation. Avoid contact with submerged or floating ash and if ash is contacted, wash off with soap and water.
Is it safe to eat fish from the Dan River?
VDH has an existing fish consumption advisory in place for the Dan River due to PCBs and mercury from historical activities not related to the recent coal ash spill. Do not eat flathead catfish greater than 32 inches, and do not consume more than two fish meals per month for several other fish species. Additional information on fish consumption advisories is available at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/Epidemiology/dee/PublicHealthToxicology/Advisories/
What is VDH doing to protect my health?
Several VDH offices, including the Office of Drinking Water and the Office of Epidemiology, will continue to work together to assess sampling results and determine if there are any risks to Virginia residents.
Whom do I contact with questions?
Contact VDH’s Danville Field Office for the Office of Drinking Water at (434) 836-8416 with drinking water concerns. Contact VDH’s Division of Environmental Epidemiology at (804) 864-8111 with questions about coal ash or health effects.
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
State test results of water quality sampling near coal ash spill released
Release: Immediate
Date: 2014-02-06
---------
Contact: Jamie Kritzer
E-mail: Jamie.Kritzer@ncdenr.gov
Phone: 919-707-8602; 919-218-5935
RALEIGH– State test results completed Thursday for a number of water quality parameters, including 17 metals, show no violations of state water quality standards for most samples taken Monday and Tuesday near the site of the coal ash spill in Eden. Test results for the remaining parameters will be released as soon as they are available.
One metal, copper, was above the state action level surface water standard both Monday and Tuesday. Because copper is a naturally occurring element in North Carolina waters, action level exceedances are used to trigger further investigation. While levels of copper decreased significantly on Tuesday, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to monitor copper and the other elements.
North Carolina has established its federally approved water quality standards based on scientific data designed to protect human health and the aquatic environment.
“The Dan River does not have a clean bill of health,” said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. “We continue to monitor the situation and are especially concerned about the deposition of coal ash residuals in the sediments underlying the Dan River and how that could affect the long-term health of the river.”
DENR is still waiting on metals analysis to be completed for boron, titanium, vanadium, iron, cobalt, beryllium, aluminum, selenium, lithium, manganese and strontium. A monitoring plan to characterize coal ash in the river bed and along the river banks is in development and will be implemented in the coming days, as well.
This week, DENR has been conducting water quality sampling upstream and downstream of the site of the coal ash spill at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden. The agency will continue conducting water quality sampling and evaluation in the Dan River for as long as necessary.
Tests for all of the water quality parameters are not complete. State officials will release the remaining results as soon as they are available. In total, DENR’s state laboratory has been analyzing water samples from the Dan River forsulfates, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), total suspended solids and 28 metals.
DENR staff created a web page where they will publicize the water sampling results. Visit this page to find the most recent water quality results at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/dan-river-spill or click on the “Dan River spill” tab on the home page. Duke Energy is also conducting sampling near the site of the spill. DENR staff members continued Wednesday to support Duke Energy’s efforts at finding a permanent solution to seal the broken stormwater pipe that released ash to the river. Duke Energy reports that flow of coal ash to the river has significantly decreased since the spill began.
http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/journal/view_article_content?groupId=4711509&articleId=18589925Date: 2014-02-06
---------
Contact: Jamie Kritzer
E-mail: Jamie.Kritzer@ncdenr.gov
Phone: 919-707-8602; 919-218-5935
RALEIGH– State test results completed Thursday for a number of water quality parameters, including 17 metals, show no violations of state water quality standards for most samples taken Monday and Tuesday near the site of the coal ash spill in Eden. Test results for the remaining parameters will be released as soon as they are available.
One metal, copper, was above the state action level surface water standard both Monday and Tuesday. Because copper is a naturally occurring element in North Carolina waters, action level exceedances are used to trigger further investigation. While levels of copper decreased significantly on Tuesday, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to monitor copper and the other elements.
North Carolina has established its federally approved water quality standards based on scientific data designed to protect human health and the aquatic environment.
“The Dan River does not have a clean bill of health,” said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. “We continue to monitor the situation and are especially concerned about the deposition of coal ash residuals in the sediments underlying the Dan River and how that could affect the long-term health of the river.”
DENR is still waiting on metals analysis to be completed for boron, titanium, vanadium, iron, cobalt, beryllium, aluminum, selenium, lithium, manganese and strontium. A monitoring plan to characterize coal ash in the river bed and along the river banks is in development and will be implemented in the coming days, as well.
This week, DENR has been conducting water quality sampling upstream and downstream of the site of the coal ash spill at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden. The agency will continue conducting water quality sampling and evaluation in the Dan River for as long as necessary.
Tests for all of the water quality parameters are not complete. State officials will release the remaining results as soon as they are available. In total, DENR’s state laboratory has been analyzing water samples from the Dan River forsulfates, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), total suspended solids and 28 metals.
DENR staff created a web page where they will publicize the water sampling results. Visit this page to find the most recent water quality results at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/dan-river-spill or click on the “Dan River spill” tab on the home page. Duke Energy is also conducting sampling near the site of the spill. DENR staff members continued Wednesday to support Duke Energy’s efforts at finding a permanent solution to seal the broken stormwater pipe that released ash to the river. Duke Energy reports that flow of coal ash to the river has significantly decreased since the spill began.
City Manager Joe King issues statement on the ash spill
GoDanRiver Staff | Posted: Thursday, February 6, 2014 5:00 pmCity Manager Joe King has issued the following statement regarding the Duke Energy coal ash spill into the Dan River:
We take very seriously our responsibility to consistently deliver clean drinking water and maintain the public’s confidence that we are doing so. Coming off the recent water contamination episode in West Virginia, people are understandably concerned and suspicious about assurances that water is safe to drink if contrary physical evidence (grey cloudy river water in our case) is apparent.
We have been transparent regarding this situation from the beginning. The following is a timeline of the events as they have taken place:
Approximately 5:30 p.m. last Sunday evening, Duke Energy called our Fire Department headquarters to notify us that it had suffered an ash leak upstream at its shuttered Dan River Steam Station in Eden, N.C. Duke Energy further advised that it just had begun assessing the situation and did not know the severity. At the time, we were informed a Duke Energy employee had walked down to the river and visually saw ash on the bank, but did not believe that it had actually reached the river.
Immediately following the call from Duke Energy, Danville Emergency Management was briefed on the situation, and our Water Treatment plant operators were notified. Danville Emergency Management notified the Virginia Emergency Operations Center, our state hazardous materials representative, and the dispatch center in South Boston.
Water Treatment plant operators began monitoring the situation. At 11 p.m. Sunday, plant operators first saw ash enter our raw water intake. They removed the ash from the raw water using routine treatment procedures. No special treatment was required. If there had been a threat to the water supply, then we immediately would have informed the public.
At approximately 8:00 a.m. this Monday, Duke Energy advised us that it had a full investigative team on site at its steam station and knew that ash was in the river, but did not know how much product had been spilled. At 3:45 p.m., we participated in a conference call with Duke Energy officials and emergency management officials from both North Carolina and Virginia. At the end of the call, Duke Energy announced it planned to issue a news release. In conjunction with Duke Energy’s news release, we issued a public statement to inform and reassure citizens that we were managing the situation and were confident that all treated water entering the distribution system met public health standards.
Out of an abundance of caution, additional testing was undertaken by Duke Energy and Danville Utilities. On Tuesday, the first test results of treated water samples became available and confirmed that the water leaving the city’s treatment facility meets public health standards. We immediately issued a news release to report these results. The test results came from two finished water samples collected by Duke Energy at the city’s two reservoirs. The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water has seen and analyzed the results of test sampling from Duke Energy and concluded the results are “very acceptable.” Furthermore, John Aulbach, director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, has issued the following statement to the media. “Danville Utilities has done a great job taking care of this.” I wholeheartedly agree.
The water samples collected by Danville Utilities were sent to two private labs in North Carolina. Late Wednesday afternoon, we received test results from one of the private labs. Due to the late hour of the day, and understanding the deadlines under which the media operate, our public information officer, Arnold Hendrix, thought it was best to inform the media that the results were available and a news release was planned. Subsequently, we canceled the planned news release after discovery that the lab was fully certified in North Carolina, but not certified in Virginia. Although we had no reason to doubt the results, we did not want that fact to discredit the test results (which were favorable).
Today, we continue to await the test results from the Virginia-certified private lab. We will make those results available when we receive them. Duke Energy continues to collect water samples. All of its test results confirm that the water coming from our distribution system is safe to drink.
Duke Energy officials have been in constant communication with us since Monday morning. This afternoon, Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good telephoned Mayor Saunders to apologize for the incident and bring him up to date on progress being made in stopping the leak. Virginia Governor McAuliffe telephoned the Mayor and offered help from the Commonwealth if needed.
We will continue to monitor the situation and do our best to keep citizens informed.
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
VA/NC river turns to gray sludge after coal ash spill
Posted: Feb 05, 2014 8:50 PM EST Updated: Feb 06, 2014 12:31 AM EST
MICHAEL BIESECKER
Meanwhile, officials in Virginia Beach, Va., announced they had stopped drawing water from Lake Gaston, a major reservoir fed by the Dan.
Personnel from Duke Energy and an alphabet soup of state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, traveled the river in motorboats Wednesday, collecting water and sediment samples. A command center has been set up at the power company's facility in Eden.
An EPA spokeswoman did not respond to questions Wednesday, including when the test results on the samples collected by the agency would be made public.
Environmentalists and government regulators have been warning for years that the 31 ash ponds at Duke's power plants in North Carolina had the potential for calamity, especially after a similar pond in Kingston, Tenn., burst open in 2008.
"Even without a spill, these settling ponds have been releasing continuous contamination into the rivers downstream from coal-fired power plants," said Avner Vengosh, a professor of geochemistry at Duke University, which was named for the same family that founded the power company.
Duke Energy officials have always insisted the ponds at its facilities were well-engineered and safe. At the Dan River plant, the waste pond was expanded more than 40 years ago over an older storm water drainage pipe. That pipe, which empties into the river, collapsed without warning sometime last weekend, draining the pond above.
Duke has closed 14 of its oldest coal-burning power plants in recent years as more-stringent air quality regulations went into effect and the price of cleaner-burning natural gas has dropped. Though the coal-fired turbines at the Dan River facility were shut down in 2012 and replaced with an adjacent gas-burning plant, the company currently has no firm plans for when and how to clean up the remaining ash ponds.
"We are committed to closing the ash basins at many of our retired coal plants across North Carolina," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "Duke Energy customers continue to benefit from more affordable rates because coal remains part of our diverse fuel mix."
Danny and Elsie Crews sat in their truck at a riverside park in Danville, watching the ashy water flow by. Danny, 60, said he helped build the new gas turbines at the Duke plant in Eden before giving up construction work due to health problems.
The couple likes to fish for big blue catfish and striped bass that make an annual migration up the Dan each spring from the Pamlico Sound.
They said they will still fish this year, but don't plan to eat what they catch.
"We're gonna eat what we have in the freezer now," said Elsie, 71, casting a wary eye at the gray water.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/24647484/nc-river-turns-to-gray-sludge-after-coal-ash-spill
Broken Duke pipe was metal, not concrete
bhenderson@charlotteobserver.comFebruary 5, 2014 Updated 15 hours ago
Advocacy groups have criticized Duke for not publicly reporting the spill until a day after it was discovered, but the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Duke obeyed state law.
State law says wastewater discharge permit holders, including Duke’s Dan River power plant, have to report to the department any events that potentially threaten public health or the environment. Permit holders have 24 hours to report from the time they become aware of the event.
Duke has said the pipe break was discovered about 2 p.m. Sunday. The company said it reported the spill to the environment department about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
State law also requires the owners of wastewater facilities to issue a news release within 48 hours of discharging 1,000 gallons or more to surface waters. Duke’s news release on the spill was filed at 4 p.m. Monday, about 26 hours after its discovery. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/05/3593339/broken-duke-pipe-was-metal-not.html
Updated 12:52 a.m.
Duke Energy did not know how much coal sludge its dormant power plant in Eden had spewed into the Dan River or for how long it had been leaking when company officials started alerting municipalities downstream Sunday night, leaving city officials flatfooted in their efforts to protect drinking water supplies.
In Danville, Va., the first municipality downstream affected by the spill, the city provides water to about 17,500 customers, about 15 miles from Eden. Danville City Manager Joe King suggested Wednesday that the initial heads-up from Duke left room for improvement.
“Initially, the information was sketchy. It was not of sufficient detail for us to fully respond or be prepared,” King said.
Eden was not affected because the city gets its water upstream of the spill, officials said.
Duke alerted Danville emergency services officials at about 6 p.m. Sunday, officials said, saying that a spill had occurred.
The key pieces of missing information: When the spill had started and how much had leaked into the river, officials said.
By Monday morning, Danville officials had a better idea.
“The whole river turned gray,” said Barry Dunkley, the division director of water and wastewater treatment for Danville Utilities. “We knew then that it was a pretty hefty amount.”
Since Monday, Dunkley said, Duke Energy has provided ample information about the spill.
Erin Culbert, a spokeswoman for Duke Energy, said the company acted as quickly as possible.
“We contacted the city of Danville emergency management early in the event on Sunday so they would be aware and could plan for any potential impacts.
Further analysis was needed Monday to accurately estimate the volumes of water and ash released, and we provided that to the public as soon as it became available,” Culbert said.
Coal ash, the waste from coal combustion, usually contains arsenic, mercury, lead and several other heavy metals.
Duke reported Tuesday that a 48-inch-wide stormwater pipe under a 27-acre ash pond at the retired coal plant broke Sunday, allowing the toxic waste from coal combustion to spill into the river.
The company estimated that 50,000 tons to 82,000 tons of ash and 24 million to 27 million gallons of basin water entered the river. That’s enough to fill about 32 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Standing between Danville’s drinking water and the coal waste flowing in the Dan River are the city’s wastewater treatment filters and the detergents its treatment plant uses to scrub the raw water of contaminants.
Drinking water has been safe all along, city officials said.
Since Sunday, the raw water entering the city’s intake has contained coal ash, though the concentration level is decreasing, said Arnold Hendrix, the city spokesman. Test samples of the raw water at the city’s intake also show the presence of arsenic.
“We have been able to remove the ash through routine treatment. No special treatment has been required,” Hendrix said. “In addition, the first test samples of the treated water entering our distribution levels show routine treatment has reduced the level of arsenic to nondetectable levels. We continue testing as a precautionary measure.”
Additional test results are expected today, he said.
Updated 7:48 p.m.
EDEN — The state website created to update the public on water sampling results from the Dan River coal ash spill is now working.
Jamie Kritzer, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources said test results are expected at least by Friday.
"We were hoping to get some today," Kritzer said. "We do feel confident we'll have some by Friday.
"We'll have to interpret the results, so that you're not just looking at numbers on a page," he said.
Initial water quality testing performed by DENR staff at Duke Energy’s Dan River power plant on Tuesday showed no deviation from normal levels of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity, according to the website.
However, it warns the initial results do not mean the water is safe and further analysis is needed.
Updated 6:51 p.m.
EDEN — The state has created a website to update the public on water sampling results. However, the site crashed shortly after it was made public.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources expects to use the website to publicize water sampling results taken from the Dan River near the site of the coal ash spill at the Dan River Steam Station.
“We’re working hard to get all those results back from our state laboratory and analyze them so we can provide the public with useful, timely information about any of the coal ash constituents we’re seeing in the Dan River,” John Skvarla said in a news release. Skvarla is secretary of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Protecting public health and the environment is our No. 1 priority, and the results will hopefully provide us with meaningful information about any effects we’re seeing to water quality,” he said.
DENR staff created a web page where they will publicize the water sampling results as well as the most recent information about the coal ash spill. You can find the page at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/dan-river-spill or click on the “Dan River spill” tab on the home page. However, as of 6:50 p.m., neither was accessible, perhaps, because the release was just sent out to the media.
On Tuesday, the first round of water samples taken by scientists with DENR were delivered to a lab in Raleigh for further testing for heavy metals, sulfates, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and total suspended solids.
According to the release, the metals DENR is testing for include:
Duke Energy is also conducting water sampling near the site of the spill.
Check back at news-record.com for updates.
Updated 3:58 p.m.
A Duke Energy spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that some coal ash continues to flow into the Dan River in Eden as crews work to stop the leak.
Spokeswoman Meghan Musgrave said that the flow to the river is fluctuating as crews dig into the ground at the site of the leak. She said she did not know how much coal ash was entering the river.
"We are working to contain it but our mitigation activities can cause flow," she said.
Musgrave said that crews also discovered Tuesday night that a portion of the 48-inch stormwater pipe that broke beneath the coal ash pond Sunday is made of corrugated metal.
She said the portion closest to the river is made of reinforced concrete, but the portion where the break occurred is corrugated metal, a weaker material.
The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday that Duke Energy crews were surprised to discover that the pipe was made of metal.
Duke Energy has been working since Sunday to repair a leak beneath the unlined ash bond from the Dan River Steam Station. The company estimated that up to 27 million gallons of water and about 82,000 tons of coal ash were released from the pond into the river.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources tweeted that it has tested water from the Dan River and expects results Thursday.
http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_ca2dc362-8e9b-11e3-ab4a-0017a43b2370.html
State law says wastewater discharge permit holders, including Duke’s Dan River power plant, have to report to the department any events that potentially threaten public health or the environment. Permit holders have 24 hours to report from the time they become aware of the event.
Duke has said the pipe break was discovered about 2 p.m. Sunday. The company said it reported the spill to the environment department about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
State law also requires the owners of wastewater facilities to issue a news release within 48 hours of discharging 1,000 gallons or more to surface waters. Duke’s news release on the spill was filed at 4 p.m. Monday, about 26 hours after its discovery. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/05/3593339/broken-duke-pipe-was-metal-not.html
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
Danville official: Information ‘sketchy’ when spill reported
Staff and wire reports | Posted: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:29 pmUpdated 12:52 a.m.
Duke Energy did not know how much coal sludge its dormant power plant in Eden had spewed into the Dan River or for how long it had been leaking when company officials started alerting municipalities downstream Sunday night, leaving city officials flatfooted in their efforts to protect drinking water supplies.
In Danville, Va., the first municipality downstream affected by the spill, the city provides water to about 17,500 customers, about 15 miles from Eden. Danville City Manager Joe King suggested Wednesday that the initial heads-up from Duke left room for improvement.
“Initially, the information was sketchy. It was not of sufficient detail for us to fully respond or be prepared,” King said.
Eden was not affected because the city gets its water upstream of the spill, officials said.
Duke alerted Danville emergency services officials at about 6 p.m. Sunday, officials said, saying that a spill had occurred.
The key pieces of missing information: When the spill had started and how much had leaked into the river, officials said.
By Monday morning, Danville officials had a better idea.
“The whole river turned gray,” said Barry Dunkley, the division director of water and wastewater treatment for Danville Utilities. “We knew then that it was a pretty hefty amount.”
Since Monday, Dunkley said, Duke Energy has provided ample information about the spill.
Erin Culbert, a spokeswoman for Duke Energy, said the company acted as quickly as possible.
“We contacted the city of Danville emergency management early in the event on Sunday so they would be aware and could plan for any potential impacts.
Further analysis was needed Monday to accurately estimate the volumes of water and ash released, and we provided that to the public as soon as it became available,” Culbert said.
Coal ash, the waste from coal combustion, usually contains arsenic, mercury, lead and several other heavy metals.
Duke reported Tuesday that a 48-inch-wide stormwater pipe under a 27-acre ash pond at the retired coal plant broke Sunday, allowing the toxic waste from coal combustion to spill into the river.
The company estimated that 50,000 tons to 82,000 tons of ash and 24 million to 27 million gallons of basin water entered the river. That’s enough to fill about 32 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Standing between Danville’s drinking water and the coal waste flowing in the Dan River are the city’s wastewater treatment filters and the detergents its treatment plant uses to scrub the raw water of contaminants.
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
Drinking water has been safe all along, city officials said.
Since Sunday, the raw water entering the city’s intake has contained coal ash, though the concentration level is decreasing, said Arnold Hendrix, the city spokesman. Test samples of the raw water at the city’s intake also show the presence of arsenic.
“We have been able to remove the ash through routine treatment. No special treatment has been required,” Hendrix said. “In addition, the first test samples of the treated water entering our distribution levels show routine treatment has reduced the level of arsenic to nondetectable levels. We continue testing as a precautionary measure.”
Additional test results are expected today, he said.
Updated 7:48 p.m.
EDEN — The state website created to update the public on water sampling results from the Dan River coal ash spill is now working.
Jamie Kritzer, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources said test results are expected at least by Friday.
"We were hoping to get some today," Kritzer said. "We do feel confident we'll have some by Friday.
"We'll have to interpret the results, so that you're not just looking at numbers on a page," he said.
Initial water quality testing performed by DENR staff at Duke Energy’s Dan River power plant on Tuesday showed no deviation from normal levels of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity, according to the website.
However, it warns the initial results do not mean the water is safe and further analysis is needed.
Updated 6:51 p.m.
EDEN — The state has created a website to update the public on water sampling results. However, the site crashed shortly after it was made public.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources expects to use the website to publicize water sampling results taken from the Dan River near the site of the coal ash spill at the Dan River Steam Station.
“We’re working hard to get all those results back from our state laboratory and analyze them so we can provide the public with useful, timely information about any of the coal ash constituents we’re seeing in the Dan River,” John Skvarla said in a news release. Skvarla is secretary of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
My picture on 12/6/14: at the intake area of water plant
“Protecting public health and the environment is our No. 1 priority, and the results will hopefully provide us with meaningful information about any effects we’re seeing to water quality,” he said.
DENR staff created a web page where they will publicize the water sampling results as well as the most recent information about the coal ash spill. You can find the page at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/dan-river-spill or click on the “Dan River spill” tab on the home page. However, as of 6:50 p.m., neither was accessible, perhaps, because the release was just sent out to the media.
On Tuesday, the first round of water samples taken by scientists with DENR were delivered to a lab in Raleigh for further testing for heavy metals, sulfates, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and total suspended solids.
According to the release, the metals DENR is testing for include:
- Potassium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Copper
- Nickel
- Lead
- Zinc
- Vanadium
- Silver
- Aluminum
- Beryllium
- Calcium
- Cobalt
- Iron
- Molybdenum
- Antimony
- Tin
- Thallium
- Titanium
- Lithium
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Sodium
- Arsenic
- Selenium
- Mercury
- Barium
- Boron
Duke Energy is also conducting water sampling near the site of the spill.
Check back at news-record.com for updates.
Updated 3:58 p.m.
A Duke Energy spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that some coal ash continues to flow into the Dan River in Eden as crews work to stop the leak.
Spokeswoman Meghan Musgrave said that the flow to the river is fluctuating as crews dig into the ground at the site of the leak. She said she did not know how much coal ash was entering the river.
"We are working to contain it but our mitigation activities can cause flow," she said.
Musgrave said that crews also discovered Tuesday night that a portion of the 48-inch stormwater pipe that broke beneath the coal ash pond Sunday is made of corrugated metal.
She said the portion closest to the river is made of reinforced concrete, but the portion where the break occurred is corrugated metal, a weaker material.
The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday that Duke Energy crews were surprised to discover that the pipe was made of metal.
Duke Energy has been working since Sunday to repair a leak beneath the unlined ash bond from the Dan River Steam Station. The company estimated that up to 27 million gallons of water and about 82,000 tons of coal ash were released from the pond into the river.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources tweeted that it has tested water from the Dan River and expects results Thursday.
http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_ca2dc362-8e9b-11e3-ab4a-0017a43b2370.html
