Danville to hire experienced enviromental attorney!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Duke Energy is cleaning up its massive coal ash spill in the Dan River at no charge to ratepayers. But Duke executives have made clear to both lawmakers and the public that the Charlotte-based utility plans to ask the North Carolina Public Utility Commission to pass along the costs of cleaning up dozens of other coal ash dumps to customers.

But in neighboring South Carolina, both SCE&G and Santee Cooper have already launched significant coal ash cleanups without turning to customers for a rate hike. And both South Carolina-based electric utilities are using cleanup methods pushed by environmentalists in court and resisted by Duke. 

“It’s best for our customers-- taking care of an issue that would be here for many years to come,” said Santee Cooper VP Tom Kierspe. 

Santee Cooper has dried out coal ash ponds, the same kind of dumps that spilled into the Dan River, and is sifting tons of gray ash to truck it off site to be refined and reused in concrete. Santee Cooper has described the effort as a “win-win-win” since it will restore the low country ponds as natural wetlands, provide jobs to local communities and produce a product useful in construction. 



Duke has resisted a “one size fits all” approach for its coal ash dumps, saying they are each unique and vary greatly in size, from 1.2 million tons at Dan River to 22 million tons at the Marshall coal-fired steam station on Lake Norman. 

Cleanup of the Dan River began April 1 after a massive coal ash spill coated 70 miles of the waterway with toxic sludge.

But it is just the start of what will be at least a two-year process to clean up the entire mess left by a collapsed pipe at Duke Energy's retired Dan River Steam Station, as well as sites near Asheville and Charlotte.

Abreu Grogan park in Danville, Va., closed April 1 to begin preparing the area for the waste removal project. Vacuum dredging will begin once site preparations are complete, and the entire project is expected to last until late June.

Officials say the park is expected to reopen to the public in July.

Officials drew a sparse crowd to preview their plans for cleaning up what could be the granddaddy of coal ash deposits left by Duke Energy’s Dan River spill two months ago.

A few dozen residents of Virginia and North Carolina turned out to screen the power company’s plan to vacuum up a 2,500-ton deposit near the city’s Schoolfield Dam, not far from where the community draws its drinking water.

Duke estimates the Feb. 2 spill released 30,000 to 39,000 tons of toxic ash, which would mean the Schoolfield Dam site accumulated 6 to 8 percent of the entire spill.

Danville is hiring an attorney — experienced in environmental cases — to help protect the city’s interests in seeking cleanup and long-term monitoring of the affects of Duke Energy’s coal ash spill.

While city officials are not ready to announce the name of the attorney — City Attorney Clarke Whitfield said a contract has not yet been signed — Whitfield said he expects to be able to make that announcement next week.

Danville City Councilman John Gilstrap said council members have met and interviewed the attorney in a closed-door session; he called the attorney’s environmental experience “extensive ... it’s about all he does.”

Gilstrap said the group heard a 90-minute presentation from the attorney, who spoke specifically on what Danville “should and could do.”

Vice Mayor Gary Miller said he has heard from real estate agents say they will lose money on sales of farms along the river and has been told by the city manager that economic development prospects are taking the potential long-term damage — or even the perception of long-term damage — into account as they are deciding which locality they should chose for their business.

Miller said he would like to see Duke Energy pick up the costs for helping restore the river’s reputation as a beautiful destination with an outstanding walking trail, perhaps by finishing the trail or doing some of the other long-range projects the city has in mind for areas along the river.

“I want Duke to make it right, but I’m afraid what they think is right is to pay for some extra chemicals and time lost, and to take out about 5 percent of the coal ash and walking away.

“I don’t trust them,” Miller said bluntly.

“It’s really a team effort,” EPA coordinator Patricia Taylor said. “Duke Energy is doing it, but we’re here to make sure they are doing it right.”

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/SC-electric-companies-are-cleaning-up-coal-ash-without-rate-hikes--257234181.html

http://www.godanriver.com/news/coal-ash/city-hiring-specialist-to-handle-ash-claims/article_8b518352-cff7-11e3-a543-001a4bcf6878.html

http://www.wncn.com/story/25123346/wncn-investigates-coal-ash-in-nc

http://www.news-record.com/news/dan_river/article_d1f3b774-c455-11e3-99fb-0017a43b2370.html

Toxic Coal Ash in the Dan River!!!

Toxic coal ash has coated the bottom of a North Carolina river as many as 70 miles downstream of a Duke Energy dump where a massive spill occurred two weeks ago.

The Feb. 2 spill occurred when a 48-inch reinforced concrete and corrugated steel stormwater runoff pipe beneath the ash pond broke, drawing water and between 30,000 and 39,000 tons of coal ash into the river. The second pipe, 36 inches in diameter and built in 4-foot sections, also ran under the pond. The pond has been emptied of water, but coal ash remains.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/18/3634350/damage-from-dan-river-spill-still.html#storylink=cpy

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advised that a massive pile of coal ash about 75 feet long and as much as 5 feet deep has been detected on the bottom of the Dan River near the site of the Feb. 2 spill. Deposits varying from 5 inches deep to less than 1 inch coated the river bottom across the state line into Virginia and to Kerr Lake, a major reservoir.
The Dan River system in North Carolina and Virginia is home to two federally listed endangered species, the Roanoke logperch fish and the James spinymussel. The river also has another freshwater mussel, the green floater, which is currently being evaluated for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Officials said the coal ash is burying aquatic animals and their food. The ash, generated when coal is burned to generate electricity, could also clog gill tissues in fish and mussels. The agency said public reports of dead aquatic turtles at two state parks in Virginia had not yet been verified by federal biologists.

 

Environmentalists and others have complained of a cozy relationship between Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration and Duke Energy, noting McCrory worked for Duke for 28 years. The U.S. attorney’s office has subpoenaed records between DENR and Duke going back to 2010.
Democratic legislative leaders on Tuesday called on McCrory to release his correspondence with Duke Energy since he declared his candidacy for governor in 2011

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/18/3634350/damage-from-dan-river-spill-still.html#storylink=cpy

Ten days after the Dan River spill, state health officials still warn people against swimming in the river or eating fish from it. Duke Energy has estimated up to 82,000 tons of ash spilled from two ponds at the closed plant. Scientists say the contaminants don't readily dissolve in water and usually sink to the bottom of the river, where they can pose a risk to aquatic life. Officials initially said their tests showed only elevated levels of copper in the river. They later said that they had misread the test results and said the level of arsenic in the river also exceeded safe levels. On Wednesday, officials reported that arsenic and copper levels in the river had dropped to safe levels but that the levels of aluminum and iron in the river remained above surface water quality standards.

Dangers of Toxic Coal Ash

Coal ash is the byproduct of burning coal and is toxic. It contains arsenic, lead, mercury and other heavy metals and toxins that can sicken if ingested. At other sites, the testing of drinking water containing particles of coal ash has been found to contain elevated levels of lead and thallium, which can cause birth defects and nervous and reproductive system disorders.
Long-term exposure to coal ash runoff can also have devastating impacts on river systems and ecosystems, including effects on local fish stocks. Young fish exposed to coal ash runoff have been born with eyes that had shifted to one side of their heads, or spines twisted into "s" shapes.
Don't forget about the Ninja Turtles or Master Splinter either!!!!!
Unfortunately this turtle didn't mutate!

Second pipe leaking toxic waste at NC coal ash dump

State regulators expressed concern five days ago that the second pipe could fail, triggering a new spill. The water coming out of that pipe contains poisonous arsenic at 14 times the level considered safe for human contact, according to test results released by the state on Tuesday.
"We are ordering Duke Energy to eliminate this unauthorized discharge immediately," said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources.

In the wake of the initial spill, public health officials issued advisories telling people to avoid contact with the river water and not eat the fish.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned that increased flow in the river resulting from last week's snowfall and rain threatens to wash the toxic ash even further downstream. The Dan flows back across into North Carolina before emptying into the Albemarle Sound.
Meanwhile, Duke Energy announced Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profits jumped 58 percent after officials in North Carolina and other states approved hikes in the rates customers pay for electricity. The company had revenues of $24.6 billion for 2013.

When costs do come into play, when we've had a chance to determine what those costs are, it's usually our customers who pay our costs of operation."
It would be up to the N.C. Utilities Commission to approve any new rate hikes for Duke. Members of that board are appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory, who worked at Duke for 28 years.





http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/02/19/video-shows-toxic-waste-gushing-into-2nd-pipe-under-duke-coal-ash-dump-spilling/

http://www.lieffcabraser.com/Case-Center/Dan-River-Coal-Ash-Spill.shtml?gclid=CNPVyOXX2rwCFQIOOgod6z4AaA

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/18/3634350/damage-from-dan-river-spill-still.html

http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_7840f43c-98e3-11e3-80d0-001a4bcf6878.html