North Carolina approves Dan River coal ash landfill

North Carolina Division of Waste Management officials authorized Duke Energy to operate a 23-acre double-lined, industrial landfill that will be used to store coal ash and other wastes at the utility’s Dan River Steam Station in Rockingham County.

“Safely cleaning up coal ash statewide is a top priority for the Cooper administration,” Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, told the North Carolina News Network. “There’s still much work to be done, but today’s action moves North Carolina closer to storing and disposing of all coal ash in a manner that protects our citizens’ health and the environment.”

According to the North Carolina News Network, the permit issued May 30, 2017, requires Duke Energy to build the landfill with a system for collecting leachate. The permit requires routine monitoring to ensure the landfill is being properly maintained and operated. The landfill will ultimately include three cells with a total disposal capacity of about 2.1 million cubic yards of waste. Tuesday’s approval to operate covers the first, 5.2-acre cell. The landfill will be used to dispose of coal ash from the facility’s on-site impoundment, safely removing it from the river’s edge. It can also be used for other types of waste generated at the Dan River facility. Duke Energy built the first cell of the landfill earlier this year after receiving a state permit to construct the landfill.