The following letter was hand delivered and emailed to North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory today, on behalf of WNCA and the undersigned groups.
February 12, 2014
Governor Pat McCrory
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 Dear Governor McCrory: We are writing on behalf of our organizations and members to urge you to use all resources at your disposal to ensure that Duke Energy protects North Carolina’s drinking water, rivers, and lakes by removing all coal ash and contaminated soil from antiquated coal ash lagoons to safe dry storage in lined landfills away from our waterways. We agree with your statement, “we need to make sure this never happens again in North Carolina.” There is only one way to accomplish this goal: Duke Energy’s coal ash must be removed from its leaking, aging, and dangerous coal ash lagoons beside our rivers, lakes, and drinking water reservoirs to modern, dry storage in lined landfills away from our waterways. That is what North Carolina requires for our kitchen wastes and municipal garbage, and we should require nothing less of toxic coal ash. As the Governor of the state and a former employee of Duke Energy, you are uniquely positioned to overcome institutional recalcitrance and actually clean up the coal ash lagoons that threaten North Carolina’s citizens and waters once and for all. You have the power to direct the priorities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to introduce legislation, to call upon personal ties with the nation’s largest utility and to use the bully pulpit to engage the public in supporting effective action now. The Dan River disaster was entirely predictable. Since the spill at Kingston in 2008, scientists, citizens, and conservation organizations have been warning that unlined coal ash lagoons like those across North Carolina are disasters waiting to happen. DENR has stated under oath that all of Duke Energy’s coal ash storage locations in North Carolina are operating illegally by violating Clean Water laws. Further, DENR has stated under oath that the pollution from these coal ash facilities is a serious threat to public health, safety, and welfare and to the water resources of the state. Yet Duke Energy continues to store its coal ash in this dangerous and outmoded way. Meanwhile, the two other major utilities in the Carolinas, SCE&G and Santee Cooper, have agreed with conservation groups to empty out their unlined lagoons; SCE&G has already removed 600,000 tons of ash. The solution to this problem is known; so, North Carolinians should get the same protections that South Carolinians have. We are disappointed that, under your administration, DENR has not required Duke Energy to clean up its coal ash pollution or its coal ash lagoons. Instead, DENR has filed actions at the last minute to prevent local citizens groups from enforcing the Clean Water Act against Duke Energy, has refused to consent to the participation of North Carolina conservation groups in the state enforcement proceedings, and has entered into a proposed sweetheart settlement with Duke Energy, which DENR has now asked the Court to stop considering. It is not enough to direct Duke Energy to clean up the Dan River spill. Duke Energy is required to take that action, anyway. Only by requiring Duke to remove coal ash from its dangerous lagoons can you protect our citizens and our precious clean water. On behalf of the tens of thousands of North Carolinians represented by this letter, we urge you to use all the powers of your office to immediately initiate effective action. Sincerely, American Rivers Peter Raabe NC Conservation Director Appalachian Voices Amy Adams NC Campaign Coordinator Cape Fear River Watch Kemp Burdette Cape Fear Riverkeeper Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Sam Perkins Catawba Riverkeeper Clean Water Action Jennifer Peters National Water Campaigns Coordinator Clean Water for North Carolina Sally Morgan Water Justice Researcher and Organizer Earth Justice Lisa Evans Senior Administrative Counsel Environmental Integrity Project Eric Schaeffer Executive Director Greenpeace North Carolina Monica Embrey Field Organizer Haw River Assembly Elaine Chiosso Haw Riverkeeper Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation Matthew Starr Neuse Riverkeeper North Carolina Conservation Network Brian Buzby Executive Director Sierra Club North Carolina Chapter Molly Diggins State Director Sierra Club, Beyond Coal Campaign Kelly Martin Senior Campaign RepresentativeSouthern Alliance for Clean Energy Ulla Reeves High Risk Energy Program Director Southern Environmental Law Center Frank Holleman Senior Attorney Waterkeeper Alliance Donna Lisenby Global Coal Campaign Coordinator Waterkeepers Carolina Heather Ward Executive Director Western North Carolina Alliance Julie Mayfield Co-Director Western North Carolina Alliance – French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson French Broad Riverkeeper
