dirty coal

Cross-posted from Facing South, article by Sue Sturgis.

Emerging federal air and water quality regulations for coal-fired power plants could lead to a wave of plant closings -- with many of the shutdowns happening across the coal-dependent South.

Cross-posted from an article by Sue Sturgis on Facing South

There was a big turnout for the Environmental Protection Agency's public hearing yesterday in Charlotte, N.C. on proposed coal ash regulations, with about 250 people delivering testimony in proceedings that lasted from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. Held at a Holiday Inn, it was one of eight coal ash hearings planned nationwide, with others having already taken place in Arlington, Va., Denver and Dallas, and more planned for Chicago, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Ky., and Knoxville, Tenn.

The EPA is considering two basic alternatives for regulating coal ash, the toxic-laden material left over after coal is burned to produce electricity. The stricter approach would treat coal ash as a special hazardous waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act's Subtitle C with federally enforced regulations, while the other approach under RCRA Subtitle D governing nonhazardous wastes would simply set federal guidelines for how the material should be handled, leaving enforcement up to lawsuits by citizens and states. The EPA is also weighing what's being called a "Subtitle D Prime" approach, which would additionally exempt utilities from having to install protective liners at existing surface impoundments.

Appropriately enough, the hearing opened with testimony from a resident of Roane County, Tenn., where the catastrophic collapse of a coal ash impoundment at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston plant in December 2008 brought the issue of coal ash regulation to national attention and spurred EPA to take action. Steve Scarborough, who owns investment property along the ash-laden Emory River that he's now unable to sell, talked about how utilities' short-sighted efforts to cut costs by relying on risky ash impoundments have hurt him and his neighbors.

On November 15th, make your voice heard by calling and telling Governor Easley and Jim Rogers that renewable energy is the future of NC and not "clean coal." Why? Because the future of North Carolina depends on it.

Contact the Governor's Office:
Phone: 1-800-662-7952 valid in North Carolina only; (919)733-4240, or (919)733-5811
Fax: (919)715-3175 or (919)733-2120
Email: governor@ncmail.net

Contact Duke Energy Office:
Phone: (704) 594-6200 (Corporate Office)
Jim Rogers Direct Line: (704) 382-1087
Email: tcwillia@duke-energy.com (Tom Williams, Policy/Energy Efficiency/Environmental Media Relations)
Fax: 704-382-0199