Dive Brief:
- Duke Energy has announced plans to dig up coal ash from 12 NC ponds and bury it in safe disposal sites. The waste will go to lined open-pit clay mines in Chatham and Lee counties.
- Duke’s coal ash pits in NC have contaminated groundwater and created other hazards, prompting state officials to mandate their closing and remediation by 2019. Thus far, Duke has announced plans to fix a total of 24 of the 36 ponds, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.
- Some of the remaining dozen ponds needing remediation could require less labor-intensive approaches. Garry Miller, head of closure engineering for Duke, said it’s not yet clear if the dozen remaining ponds can be fixed through a "cap in place" process.
Dive Insight:
Disposal of coal ash in municipal solid waste landfills, recently allowed by the federal government, promises to be a boon for landfill owners and waste haulers. But environmental effects of old coal ash ponds still must be addressed, and Duke appears to be doing its best to rectify the problems with such sites.
