RALEIGH-- An official with North Carolina's environmental regulation agency says deadlines under a coal-ash cleanup law have put enormous strain on the department's staff.

Tom Reeder is an assistant secretary with the Department of Environmental Quality. He made the remarks Wednesday as part of a status report on efforts to close storage sites for the residue created when power plants burn coal.  He said some delays in taking actions  have been caused by the involvement of the federal government, especially the Environmental Protection Agency.

During a meeting before the General Assembly's Environmental Review Commission, Reeder said analyzing the voluminous amounts of data on tight deadlines have stretched staff "to the absolute breaking point." But at the same time he says more data is needed to finish its work.

The legislative oversight committee learned more Wednesday about ongoing efforts to clean up Duke Energy's coal ash storage pits.

Reeder says the ramped up state effort to clean up coal ash pits at Duke Energy power plants across the state still need more time. He says they are trying to do things the right way.