Dive Brief:
- North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced on Wednesday a series of measures designed to regulate the state’s coal ash ponds.
- The measures include bringing coal ash under the same solid waste laws as household trash, requiring coal ash pond operators to have “operational and emergency-action plans” in case of spills, and to report coal ash spills to the public within 24 hours, as well as submit to regular third party inspections.
- If enacted, McCrory’s plan will result in 33 Duke Energy coal ash ponds “closing or converting,” according to a McCrory administration official. The proposals will go before the North Carolina General Assembly in May for approval.
Dive Insight:
The proposals come in response to the February Dan River coal ash spill, which sent 39,000 tons of ash into the river from one of Duke Energy’s coal ash basins. The state government filed a lawsuit against the company after the Dan River spill to make it tackle pollution from its coal basins. Duke Energy has stated its commitment to close its coal ash ponds.
McCrory’s plan doesn’t go far enough, according to some environmentalist groups. One said the plan may be “just another PR move.” Rather than better regulating coal ash ponds, coal ash could be redisposed at lined landfill sites, much like household waste—the most popular solution for environmentalists.
But not all coal ash ponds may be suitable for drainage and disposal in this way, cautioned a Department of Environment and Natural Resources official. Instead, each pond would have to be treated individually rather than imposing a blanket solution.