Duke Told to Clean-Up Coal Ash Pollution by North Carolina
- State proposes all coal pits must be removed by 2024
- Order comes after Duke coal ash spill into Dan River in 2014
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Duke Energy Corp. must clean up its coal-ash ponds in North Carolina within eight years because of environmental and public-health risks, state regulators said in a proposal that could be scaled back at a later date.
Duke must dig up and close coal-ash pits at eight sites by 2019 and at 25 locations by 2024 under a proposal issued Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The agency also asked for changes to the state’s coal ash law that will allow for a reconsideration of the risks in 18 months after Duke has time to make repairs to its facilities, according to a statement.