CHARLOTTE -- The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality wants public feedback on a plan to speed up the closure of coal ash ponds at three facilities near Charlotte.

The department is inviting public comment and hosting a public hearing on a proposed consent order aimed at accelerating coal ash cleanup.

By law, Duke Energy must close all coal ash basins in North Carolina by 2029. The proposed consent order aims to expedite the closure of ash basins at Allen Steam Station in Gaston County, Marshall Steam Station in Catawba County and Rogers (formerly Cliffside) Steam Station in Rutherford County.

The public has from Jan. 10 until Feb. 14 to comment on the proposed consent order. Written comments on the draft order may be sent to the attention of Mr. Bob Sledge, N.C. Division of Water Resources, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617. Comments may also be submitted electronically to the following email address:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

DEQ plans to hold a public hearing to gather additional comments on the consent order. The public hearing will be held at James W. Warren Citizens Center, 115 West Main St., Lincolnton at 6 p.m. Feb. 13.

The state will consider all public comments received by Feb. 14 before presenting a final draft of the consent order to the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission for its consideration. By law, the EMC must approve the consent order before it can take effect.

Additional information and a copy of the draft order can be found online at https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/public-notices-hearings.

DEQ officials are working to accelerate the closure of coal ash basins at Duke Energy’s other coal ash facilities.