Two coal ash dams in Lumberton 'high hazard', says state

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/local/two-coal-ash-dams-in-lumberton-high-hazard-says-state/article_fc684086-947c-5eff-9d3c-b46653fb3055.html

Two coal ash dams in Lumberton 'high hazard', says state
By Steve DeVane Staff writer
Posted: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 9:06 pm | Updated: 7:16 am, Thu Sep 4, 2014.

LUMBERTON - State officials have classified two dams at a Duke Energy coal ash pond in Lumberton as "high hazard" because people could be killed and homes damaged if they failed.

In a separate action, four conservation groups filed federal lawsuits Wednesday against Duke over three other coal ash sites.

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuits under the Clean Water Act on behalf of Cape Fear River Watch, Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation, Yadkin Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance. The suits focus on issues at the Cape Fear site in Chatham County on the Cape Fear River, the Lee site in Goldsboro on the Neuse River and the Buck site in Salisbury on the Yadkin River.

Duke Energy's coal ash ponds in North Carolina have been under scrutiny since a spill Feb. 2 at its power plant near Eden. Nearly 40,000 tons of toxic coal ash spilled there, coating dozens of miles of the Dan River in sludge.