GREENSBORO, N.C. — State lawmakers want to make sure North Carolinians don't have to pay for Duke Energy's coal ash cleanup.
The utility is closing coal ash sites around the state. The Department of Environmental Quality ruled this week that they have to. They say it's the only way to protect the environment they're in.
Duke Energy says excavating all the coal ash will cost nearly $4 billion dollars. They say it could take decades to complete the work.
RELATED: Duke Energy Releases Statement After NC Orders Company To Excavate All Coal Ash From Power Plants
Duke says customers will have to pay for the coal ash site closings. They don't have to pay for coal ash spills.
Guilford County Representative Pricey Harrison says she doesn't think customers should have to foot that bill.
She's sponsoring a state bill that would prohibit utilities from taking money from customers to pay for coal ash management.
It also requires Duke Energy to excavate its remaining coal ash pits, similar to the Governor's order earlier this week.
"We just want to make sure that any future costs for cleanup get charged to Duke shareholders," Harrison said, "[They] were irresponsibly, some would say, storing toxic coal ash."
Harrison says she's got plenty of public support for the idea, and she's hoping for enough support in Raleigh to pass it.
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