Coal Ash

The police headquarters for the town of Chapel Hill is currently located at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In 2013, toxic coal ash was discovered on this site. A new draft agreement on how to move forward with this property is now available for public comment.

A team of residents and scientists in eastern North Carolina is using an unlikely tool to look for clues about air pollution.

On February 2, 2014, a stormwater pipe underneath the ash basin broke, sending 39,000 tons of coal ash and 27 million gallons of ash pond water into the Dan River. The spill ultimately led to largest coal ash clean up in U.S. history.

Federal officials will consider adding the site at 828 Martin Luther King Fr. Blvd to the national Superfund program.

The study found large amounts of coal ash in the sediment, or sand, of five recreational lakes across North Carolina. All of these lakes are near former or currently operational Duke Energy coal plants.

Belews Creek Steam Station is a two-unit coal and natural gas plant located on Belews Lake in Stokes County, N.C.WUNC Youth Reporter Claire Haile highlights community activists who have found unique ways to work as environmental advocates.

Duke Energy says it expects to reduce energy generated by coal to just 5% of its total by 2030 and to eliminate coal entirely by 2035.

The EPA says plants in four states will have to close the coal ash ponds months or years ahead of schedule. Coal ash is the substance that remains when coal is burned to generate electricity.

Duke Energy has reached financial settlements totaling $215 million with a group of insurers it sued four years ago to recover costs for cleaning up coal ash.

North Carolina regulators have approved a rate increase for Duke Energy customers in the central part of the state, including Charlotte — but it's less than the company asked for. Wednesday's order by the North Carolina Utilities Commission also trims what Duke had hoped to charge customers for the cost of cleaning up coal ash.