RALEIGH – State environmental officials have issued permit approvals that will allow coal ash to be moved away from water sources at multiple Duke Energy facilities and reused as structural fill. The structural fill permit is a requirement under the 2014 Coal Ash Management Act, or CAMA, a law based on Governor McCrory’s plan for addressing the long-ignored coal ash issue.

“These approvals represent another critical step in Governor McCrory’s aggressive efforts to permanently close all of North Carolina’s coal ash ponds,” said Tom Reeder, Assistant Secretary for the environment at DEQ. “We will continue to monitor these projects closely to ensure that public health and the environment are protected.”

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, on Thursday issued the necessary approvals to begin operations at the Brickhaven site in Chatham County, which will allow Green Meadow LLC and Charah Inc., to begin receiving coal ash for the mine reclamation project in Moncure.

DEQ’s Division of Waste Management approved a detailed revised water quality monitoring plan, operations plans, and construction quality assurance documentation.

Under CAMA, permits were reviewed by the public and modified in response to public input.  Ash removal is currently underway at Riverbend Steam Station and Asheville Power Station under DEQ’s direction.

Earlier this month, DEQ issued stormwater permits to allow coal ash removal at Duke Energy’s Dan River facility and Rogers Energy Complex.

Charah and Green Meadow plan to remove coal ash from several Duke Energy facilities for use as structural fill in the Brickhaven open-pit clay mine in Chatham County. Engineered, protective liners will be installed at the Brickhaven mine pits before the coal ash is deposited. The liners are designed to capture leachate and prevent coal ash contaminants from reaching groundwater.

DEQ is reviewing the necessary permits for a second structural fill operation at an open-pit clay mine in Lee County.