UH OH

Coal Ash Could Spill Into North Carolina’s Cape Fear River After Dam Breach

Florence’s floodwaters breached a power plant dam.

Duke Energy, the largest power provider in the Carolinas, announced Friday that because Florence’s floodwaters have breached a dump holding 400,000 cubic yards of coal ash, some of that coal ash could leak into North Carolina’s Cape Fear River. The Associated Press reported that grey material, which the company described as coal combustion byproducts, was already visible on the lake’s surface Friday. Coal ash contains traces of toxic contaminants like mercury, lead, and arsenic, the Associated Press added, all of which can lead to a litany of dangerous medical problems. This is not the first risk of coal ash contamination from Florence: Last week, a rupture at another coal ash site spilled enough material to fill 180 dump trucks. A spokeswoman for Duke Energy said Friday that the incident is a “developing situation.”