Feds Override NC On Draining Coal ash Dumps

[G_j]

http://abc11.com/336206/

Friday, October 03, 2014
RALEIGH -- Federal environmental officials spurred North Carolina regulators to reverse a policy allowing Duke Energy to drain massive amounts of polluted wastewater from its coal ash dumps directly into the state's rivers and lakes, according to documents.

The Southern Environmental Law Center released documents Friday showing that the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources quietly gave Duke approval on Aug. 28 to start emptying liquids from all of its 33 coal ash dumps across the state through existing drain pipes at the facilities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responded with a lengthy memo on Sept. 16, expressing concern that Duke's draining would likely violate federal water quality standards. Duke's state wastewater discharge permits require the company to test the water discharged from its pipes for levels of toxic materials twice a year.

"The applicable permits only require monitoring for a limited number of pollutants once every six months," wrote Mark J. Nuhfer, an EPA official at the agency's regional headquarters in Atlanta. "As a result, Duke Energy could draw the ponds down completely without taking a single sample to assess effluent quality, permit compliance, or water-quality impact."

..more..

[armed_and_liberal]

1. Only a GOP run government

...would address a coal ash sludge spill by allowing more to be released into our waters. These f**kers have no morals what so ever!