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RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Five Duke Energy power plants are the subject of a state order issued to Duke Energy Monday dictating that leaking corrugated metal and concrete spillway pipes at coal ash impoundment dams must be repaired.
The Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources issued the notices.
The impacted areas are Marshall Steam Station in Catawba County, Riverbend and Allen Steam Stations in Gaston County, Buck Steam Station in Rowan County, and Cliffside Steam Station in Rutherford and Cleveland counties.
All of the plants are in the Charlotte metro area and western North Carolina, according to a state news release.
Duke Energy must submit repair plans by July 17 or face penalties.
The leaks include cracks, but state officials say they have not identified imminent public health or safety hazards in the leaky pipes.
“If any of the leaks had been identified as posing an imminent threat to the structural integrity of any of the dams jeopardizing public safety or health, we would have taken action immediately,” said Tracy Davis, director of the N.C. Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources in the news release. “In that case, we would have ordered the utility to take immediate steps to repair the pipes and would have one of our staff engineers on site to monitor the repairs and the integrity of the dam.”
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