The coal ash stored at New Hanover County’s L.V. Sutton Electric Plant is scheduled for remediation in the near future, according to a letter sent Wednesday from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to Duke Energy.
 
The letter was one of four requesting prompt action to address potential problems with coal ash storage at 14 Duke plants in the state. In it, DENR requests Duke Energy to submit coal ash excavation plans for Sutton and three other inactive coal ash impoundments “no later than Nov. 15, 2014.”
 
“The excavation plan shall include a schedule for soil and sedimentation erosion control measures, dewatering and the proposed location of the removed ash,” the letter stated.
 
DENR officials emphasized that, after submitting its plan, Duke Energy must begin removing coal ash within 60 days after getting the necessary approvals from the environmental agency.
 
The other three letters related to environmental conditions at all 14 plants that have stored coal ash. One letter mandated increased testing of drinking water and groundwater near all of Duke Energy’s ash ponds. Another ordered more comprehensive inspections of the coal ash impoundment dams: weekly by Duke Energy and yearly by an “independent registered professional engineer.”
 
A fourth letter, which does not affect the Sutton plant, advised Duke Energy that wastewater discharge permits for several of its energy plants must be reopened, an action that enables DENR to add more stringent conditions. Other permits up for renewal will likely have additional “terms and conditions sufficient to ensure the elimination of any unauthorized discharges,” the letter stated.
 
All four DENR letters, sent Wednesday by certified mail to Paul Newton, president of Duke Energy’s utility operations in North Carolina, are the state’s first steps in carrying out an executive order signed by Gov. Pat McCrory Aug. 1, according to DENR’s website.

On Thursday, Duke Energy issued an official response to the DENR requests: "We will respond to the state as requested as we advance our comprehensive plan for the management and closure of ash basins in North Carolina. We remain committed to fact-based and scientific solutions that protect the environment and groundwater."