Coal ash a danger to Cape Fear River after Duke Energy flood

RESCUES AS THEY DID DURING AND

AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW.

MAC TODAY DUKE ENERGY SAYS A

DAM CONTAINING A LARGE LAKE AT

A WILMINGTON POWER PLANT HAS

BEEN BREACHED BY FLOODWATERS

FROM FLORENCE.

IT IS POSSIBLE COAL ASH FROM

AND ATCHISON DUMP IS FLOWING

DOWN INTO THE CAPE FEAR RIVER.

TRAVIS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THE

COAL ASH IS STILL A CONCERN ?

>> COAL ASH HAS ALL KINDS OF

PROBLEMATIC CHEMICALS IN IT.

MERCURY AND ARSENIC, THOSE

PEOPLE ARE ON BOTTLED WATER TO

THIS DAY.

>> WE HAVE TWO LOCATIONS, WHAT

IS HAPPENING IN EACH OF THOSE

LOCATIONS?

>> GOLDSBORO, THERE ARE THREE

INACTIVE PONDS, AND YOU

WOULDN'T CONSIDER THEM PONDS

ANYMORE, MORE IMPOUNDMENTS

COVERED IN DIRT, AND THERE ARE

TREES GROWING ON THEM.

THEY ARE COVERED IN WATER.

I WAS TALKING TO THE RIVER

KEEPER AND HE SAYS THE NEWS IS

SO HIGH THAT HE PADDLED RIGHT

OVER AND HE CAN SEE COAL ASH IN

THE WATER.

OBVIOUSLY WE ARE LIMITED, IT IS

DIFFICULT DAY TODAY TO KEEP UP

WITH THIS.

AT SUTTON WHAT IS HAPPENED IS

THE DAM WAS BREACHED BUT THERE

PREVIOUSLY WAS A BREACH IN ONE

OF THE IMPOUNDMENTS.

WHERE THE ACTUAL COAL IS STORED

AND NOW THE CAPE FEAR HAS

WASHED OVER THE DAM THERE AT

THE COOLING POND NEXT DOOR.

>> OUR DUKE AND STATE OFFICIALS

RESPONDING TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

>> THEY ARE TAKING THE

APPROPRIATE MEASURES,

ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE NOT SURE

THEY ARE AGREEING WITH THAT.

WE ARE NOT HEARING A LOT FROM

DEQ, THEY PUT OUT A RELEASE

RECENTLY BUT MOST OF WHAT WE'RE

HEARING IS FROM

ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO HAVE

COMPLAINTS, AND FROM DUKE

ITSELF .

>> ARE THEY DOING TESTING?

WHAT IS THE SITUATION ?

>> THEY PLAN TO.

MICHAEL REAGAN SAID TODAY THAT

THEY ARE PRIORITIZING RESCUES

AND TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE

WAY AND ALSO PRIORITIZING THE

SAFETY OF THEIR PEOPLE.

THEY SAID THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ON

THE GROUND AND HAVE NOT BEEN

WATER SAMPLING BUT THEY DO PLAN