Environmentalists are glad to see Dominion Power shutting down coal burning power plants, but they want the utility to do something about the waste left behind when coal is burned.
At the Chesapeake Energy Center, Dominion has stored tons of coal ash for decades. Deborah Murray is an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
“They have just simply been storing the coal ash for about 60 years now in unlined pits, and the evidence is very clear, and Dominion’s own records show that it’s contaminating the ground water.”
Coal ash contains a number of toxic chemicals including arsenic, which Murray says has been found in groundwater near the Chesapeake plant at levels 30 times the state standard. That’s why she’s taking action on behalf of the Sierra Club.
“We have just given Dominion notice that we intend to sue them for violations of the Clean Water Act by polluting the ground water and polluting the river and creek that are immediately adjacent to the site.”
Murray says coal-burning utilities in North and South Carolina have been cleaning up their sites – moving coal ash to lined containers away from water. Faced with a lawsuit, she and her client hope Dominion will do that too. The company could not be reached for comment.
The news comes as the Environmental Protection Agency prepares to announce new requirements for the storage of coal ash nationwide.
