Coal ash in clay pits may work, but scrutiny needed

This editorial appeared in the The Fayetteville Observer.

Duke Energy faces problems with its coal-ash storage ponds across North Carolina and has mandates from the state to clean up at least four of them.

Duke recently announced plans to use open pits left over from clay-mining in Lee and Chatham counties to hold much of the ash from two of those sites.

The plans sound somewhat reasonable, but state regulators should move judiciously in considering approval.

The clay sites are part of an overall Phase 1 of coal-ash transfer and storage that Duke envisions. Besides these, storage in an ongoing at the Asheville airport would handle waste from that area.

A lined landfill and a cement company, both in Virginia, would receive ash from Duke’s Dan River site, where a February spill drew national attention.

The clay-pit solution is appealing in many respects. Located in Sanford and Moncure, the holes are left over from the days when the area called itself the “Brick Capital.” With Duke planning to add synthetic lining to the pits, impervious clay is ideal for containment. Once filled and compacted, the sites can be covered and buildings placed on top.

Thanks to their industrial past, the sites are close to rail lines that can be used to carry the nearly 3 million tons of coal ash over about a year to the two locations, which are a short distance apart.

The sites are also close to the state’s center, so using them for waste from Wilmington and Mount Holly splits the distance. Although not part of Duke’s announced plans, future phases might take advantage of clay pits to store coal ash from ponds in Moncure and Lumberton. The state hasn’t required those to go yet, but it should be a matter of when, not if.

The entire arrangement requires an OK from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which is not officially a wholly owned subsidiary of Duke Energy. In theory, DENR should be able to reject the plan, or add requirements that might not sit well with Duke.

But the day before the plan was announced and submitted to regulators, Duke’s Kentucky-based contractor paid $3.5 million for the 412-acre landfill site.

“Obviously, it was a done deal, and that’s very concerning for something of this magnitude,” said Lee County Manager John Crumpton.

The state needs to prove otherwise with a transparent and convincing job of vetting Duke’s plan. If it is approved, DENR should mandate rigorous monitoring safeguards.

Tribune Content Agency

This story was originally published November 24, 2014 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Coal ash in clay pits may work, but scrutiny needed."