MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. -- Coal ash excavation is already underway at three locations in the Carolinas and WFMY News 2 sister station WCNC is getting our first look at the process at the Riverbend Steam Station in Mount Holly. This comes on the same day that Duke Energy announced they're planning to close 12 basins at four additional locations, tacked on to the previous six places they were already looking to excavate from.
"It's a huge amount of work to be able to safely close and move this type of material," said Spokesperson Erin Culbert. "We handle the vast majority of ash that's produced today in a dry fashion, that goes to a lined landfill."
Which is what they're doing here, with trucks which they hose off before they hit the road to one of those lined landfills down in Georgia.
"If you don't wash it down and you send it down the road, it's conceivable that you have this plume of dust behind it," said John Daniels with UNCC's Civil and Environmental Engineering department.
Soon, they'll be doing this by train. It's a process that'll take decades at coal ash sites across the Carolinas.
"If you are going to require removal at all sites, then yes, you are using resources for that," Daniels said.
As for the wet coal ash underground, Duke still needs permits before they can start removing that at Riverbend. But they're continuing to drill and test in places where people nearby get their drinking water to make sure none of the dangerous materials have seeped into it.
"What we're talking about in terms of seepage is a surface flow that might be going to a nearby lake or river," Culbert said. "So we do ongoing monitoring in those lakes and rivers and don't see any impact from the seepage."
Duke says they're hoping to be able to transport the ash from Riverbend by rail sometime this fall.
Many Riverkeepers responded to Duke's announcement by saying it's a step in the right direction, but they're hoping Duke decides to close more ash basins as well.
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