We celebrated a major victory alongside residents living near Duke Energy’s North Carolina coal ash pits in January when the state ordered the monopoly utility to clean up their mess.
We celebrated a major victory alongside residents living near Duke Energy’s North Carolina coal ash pits in January when the state ordered the monopoly utility to clean up their mess.
North Carolinians have won a major victory with the announcement that Duke Energy would remove coal ash from its remaining sites. Appalachian Voices is proud to have worked side-by-side with the people who fought so hard, for so long to defend their communities.
On April 1, North Carolina announced its decision to require Duke Energy to fully excavate the six remaining coal ash sites across the state — a big victory in the year’s long fight against the energy utility’s negligence.
Today’s decision by the DEQ requiring Duke Energy to excavate all of its six remaining coal ash sites is a testament to the determination of the people living near these toxic sites who have been calling on the state for strong cleanup measures for years.
The latest news over Duke Energy’s handling of the coal ash crisis in North Carolina has many impacted citizens worried – but perhaps not shocked at the utility’s ongoing duplicity on the issue.
Throughout the month of March, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality held a series of public hearings to gather input on cleanup of the state’s nearly 150 tons of coal ash. Our team worked with local residents to drive high attendance and call for stronger cleanup plans.
In both North Carolina and Virginia coal ash impoundments are being drained into lakes and rivers, a stage in the clean-up efforts that is causing citizen and environmental groups concerns.
North Carolinians affected by coal ash formed the Alliance of Carolinians Together (ACT) Against Coal Ash statewide coalition, and we’ve been joining the new organization at events across the state.