January 2nd, 2020: In 2014 after the collapse of a pipe under a coal ash pit along the Dan River, Duke Energy, one of the nation's largest utility companies, pled guilty to multiple criminal violations. This resulted in the passage of a stronger law that required the company to take greater responsibility for its coal ash sites, and Duke began work to fully excavate eight of its fourteen coal ash sites across the state of North Carolina. Thanks to continued public pressure, Duke was ordered to fully excavate the remaining six sites earlier this year, but appealed that order.
On December 31st, Duke Energy, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Southern Environmental Law Center, Sierra Club and others came to an agreement for what will be the largest coal ash cleanup in U.S. history. This settlement is significant, and represents a huge win for public health, clean water, and the environment. Duke Energy has agreed to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash and move it to dry, lined storage facilities on site. Combined with previous agreements, more than 100 million tons of coal ash will be removed. A small percentage of the ash, roughly 4%, will remain in place, as it's currently sitting under lined coal ash landfills built on top of closed basins.