Brian Williams, not shown, program manager for the Dan River Basin Association, scoops up coal ash on his canoe paddle from the bank of the Dan River as state and federal environmental officials continued their investigations of a spill of coal ash in Eden, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Duke Energy estimates that up to 82,000 tons of ash has been released from a break in a 48-inch storm water pipe at the Dan River Power Plant on Sunday.
Coal ash swirls on the surface of the Dan River as state and federal environmental officials continued their investigations of a spill of coal ash into the river in Danville on Wednesday.
Posted: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 8:41 pm
About a dozen types of fish — and the creatures they depend on for food — live in the Dan River, where nearly 85,000 tons of coal ash spilled into the water from a broken pipe Sunday upriver in Eden, N.C.
Toxic substances from the coal ash concern Matt Wasson, program director Appalachian Voices, a non-profit environmental organization.
Selenium — a chemical found in pot ash — can cause reproductive failure in fish or kill them at high levels.
“We would not expect levels to be that high after this spill,” Wasson said, referring to the leak that occurred at Duke Energy’s Dan River Steam Station that closed in 2012.
However, Wasson does worry because selenium bio-magnifies once it enters the ecosystem. It enters macro-invertebrates — the insects and other creatures fish feed on — at a certain level and increases as it moves up the food chain to the fish that eat them.
“It’s one of those compounds — like mercury [also found in coal ash] — that magnifies the higher up you go in the food chain,” Wasson said. “You get low levels in invertebrates, higher levels in fish.”
An incident involving Belews Creek Power Plant that dumped coal ash into Belews Lake in the 1970s wiped out 19 of 20 species of fish. Researchers from Wake Forest University concluded that selenium killed them off, Wasson said.
Another toxic by-product in coal ash — arsenic — gets into the sediment where important invertebrates live, Wasson said.
“There could be a lot of arsenic in the sediment that’s having a lot of profound ecological impact on the river,” Wasson said.
The department recommends that residents avoid eating catfish longer than 32 inches and not to consume more than two fish meals of any other species per month, Leprell said.
Macro-invertebrates that fish consume include the stonefly, mayfly, hellgrammite, crayfish, crane fly, dragonfly, water strider, snail, water penny, snipe fly, riffle beetle, damselfly and caddisfly, according to Tiffany Haworth, executive director of the Dan River Basin Association.
Haworth said it is impossible to determine the short-term and long-term impact the spill will have on the river’s ecosystem.
“It will obviously have an impact, and remediation needs to begin as soon as possible,” Haworth said.
The DRBA is working with other organizations to assess the impact and keep the public informed of safety information, impact updates and mitigation efforts.
“As more information becomes available, DRBA will collaborate with appropriate partners to help repair and restore the river’s ecosystem,” Haworth said.
Wasson, calling the incident “a massive disaster,” said six inches of coal ash covered the bottom of the river Tuesday about two miles downstream from the spill site.
“It’s like a lava flow moving slowly toward Danville on the bottom of the river,” Wasson said.
Selenium toxicity could be a concern for humans for months or years as a result of the spill, Wasson said. Arsenic could reduce the number of fish available in the Dan River for years, harming the food chain on which they depend for food.
“It’s fair to say possible impacts of this on fish populations could extend for years,” he said.
The state health department recommends that recreational users of the Dan River exercise caution when fishing, kayaking or engaging in other activities, Leprell said. Direct contact with coal ash can cause skin irritation and it’s best to wash it off with soap and water, Leprell said.
John Aulbach, director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, said the water treated by the Danville Utilities Water Treatment Plant is safe to drink.
“Danville Utilities has done a great job taking care of this,” Aulbach said.
The office is monitoring the plant’s operations and following up to make sure it is performing well, Aulbach said. The Office of Drinking Water has seen and analyzed the results of test sampling from Duke Energy and they are “very acceptable,” he said.
Aulbach said he expects to look at additional samples collected by the city Thursday.
Fish in the Dan
There are about a dozen types of fish in the Dan River, according to Tiffany Haworth, executive director of the Dan River Basin Association:
» Largemouth bass
» Smallmouth bass
» Striped bass
» Spotted bass
» Black crappie
» Bluegill
» Sunfish
» Pumpkinseed
» Channel catfish
» Flathead catfish
» Blue catfish
» Grass carp
Toxic substances from the coal ash concern Matt Wasson, program director Appalachian Voices, a non-profit environmental organization.
Selenium — a chemical found in pot ash — can cause reproductive failure in fish or kill them at high levels.
“We would not expect levels to be that high after this spill,” Wasson said, referring to the leak that occurred at Duke Energy’s Dan River Steam Station that closed in 2012.
However, Wasson does worry because selenium bio-magnifies once it enters the ecosystem. It enters macro-invertebrates — the insects and other creatures fish feed on — at a certain level and increases as it moves up the food chain to the fish that eat them.
“It’s one of those compounds — like mercury [also found in coal ash] — that magnifies the higher up you go in the food chain,” Wasson said. “You get low levels in invertebrates, higher levels in fish.”
An incident involving Belews Creek Power Plant that dumped coal ash into Belews Lake in the 1970s wiped out 19 of 20 species of fish. Researchers from Wake Forest University concluded that selenium killed them off, Wasson said.
Another toxic by-product in coal ash — arsenic — gets into the sediment where important invertebrates live, Wasson said.
“There could be a lot of arsenic in the sediment that’s having a lot of profound ecological impact on the river,” Wasson said.
The department recommends that residents avoid eating catfish longer than 32 inches and not to consume more than two fish meals of any other species per month, Leprell said.
Macro-invertebrates that fish consume include the stonefly, mayfly, hellgrammite, crayfish, crane fly, dragonfly, water strider, snail, water penny, snipe fly, riffle beetle, damselfly and caddisfly, according to Tiffany Haworth, executive director of the Dan River Basin Association.
Haworth said it is impossible to determine the short-term and long-term impact the spill will have on the river’s ecosystem.
“It will obviously have an impact, and remediation needs to begin as soon as possible,” Haworth said.
The DRBA is working with other organizations to assess the impact and keep the public informed of safety information, impact updates and mitigation efforts.
“As more information becomes available, DRBA will collaborate with appropriate partners to help repair and restore the river’s ecosystem,” Haworth said.
Wasson, calling the incident “a massive disaster,” said six inches of coal ash covered the bottom of the river Tuesday about two miles downstream from the spill site.
“It’s like a lava flow moving slowly toward Danville on the bottom of the river,” Wasson said.
Selenium toxicity could be a concern for humans for months or years as a result of the spill, Wasson said. Arsenic could reduce the number of fish available in the Dan River for years, harming the food chain on which they depend for food.
“It’s fair to say possible impacts of this on fish populations could extend for years,” he said.
The state health department recommends that recreational users of the Dan River exercise caution when fishing, kayaking or engaging in other activities, Leprell said. Direct contact with coal ash can cause skin irritation and it’s best to wash it off with soap and water, Leprell said.
John Aulbach, director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, said the water treated by the Danville Utilities Water Treatment Plant is safe to drink.
“Danville Utilities has done a great job taking care of this,” Aulbach said.
The office is monitoring the plant’s operations and following up to make sure it is performing well, Aulbach said. The Office of Drinking Water has seen and analyzed the results of test sampling from Duke Energy and they are “very acceptable,” he said.
Aulbach said he expects to look at additional samples collected by the city Thursday.
» Largemouth bass
» Smallmouth bass
» Striped bass
» Spotted bass
» Black crappie
» Bluegill
» Sunfish
» Pumpkinseed
» Channel catfish
» Flathead catfish
» Blue catfish
» Grass carp
State and federal officials dock after collecting sediment samples as coal ash surfaces on the water on the Dan River in Danville, Va., Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. A coal ash spill from a break in a 48-inch storm water pipe at the Dan River Power Plant in Eden N.C. on Sunday released up to 82,000 tons of ash according to Duke Energy. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Didi Fung, a contractor for the Environmental Protection Agency, collects water samples from the Dan River as state and federal environmental officials continued their investigations of a spill of coal ash into the Dan River in Eden, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Duke Energy estimates that up to 82,000 tons of ash has been released from a break in a 48-inch storm water pipe at the Dan River Power Plant on Sunday
Amy Adams, North Carolina campaign coordinator with Appalachian Voices, shows her hand covered with wet coal ash from the Dan River swirling in the background as state and federal environmental officials continued their investigations of a spill of coal ash into the river in Danville, Va., Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Duke Energy estimates that up to 82,000 tons of ash has been released from a break in a 48-inch storm water pipe at the Dan River Power Plant in Eden N.C. on Sunday
Coal ash lines the banks of the Dan River as state and federal environmental officials continued their investigations of a spill of coal ash into the river in Eden, N.C
