Investigation Into Duke Energy’s Coal Ash Use Shows No Concern

Recently, the Mooresville News team took a deep dive into Duke Energy’s Marshall Steam Station just outside Mooresville city limits. This investigation was to determine whether or not your local coal power plant is properly maintained and safe.

What we found will shock you. 

It is completely safe. Flawless, even. In fact, Duke Energy has never done anything wrong and has always held safety as its number one priority, closely followed by profits.

In order to determine if it is safe, we must know what coal ash is. 

Coal ash is the byproduct of burning coal. Critics claim it contains “harmful substances” such as arsenic, boron, lead, mercury, selenium, and chromium. However, upon further investigation, we discovered these are only “carcinogens” according to independent scientists and decades of peer reviewed research. 

Fortunately for Mooresville residents, Duke Energy has done the science and have determined that coal ash is perfectly safe. 

Coal ash can be used as structural fills. Once compacted, the ash can act as a base material. There are more than ten coal ash structural fills within the Mooresville city limits alone. An estimated 100,000 tons of coal ash sit underneath the business park off of Brawley School Road. 

Some have made efforts to connect these facts with reports and research describing Lake Norman as a cancer cluster. There is nothing about carcinogens being in coal ash that leads us to believe it is causing cancer at higher rates in the Lake Norman area. 

So when the state of North Carolina allowed Duke Energy to dump coal ash into Lake Norman in 2014, it had no lingering effects. 

Here are the facts: 

Is the coal ash being properly handled according to regulations to prevent possible dangers?

No. 

Is that okay?

Totally. 

Is there any chance that Duke Energy is in the pockets of federal, state, and local officials, allowing this to continue without any resistance?

No, we have laws to prevent these types of relationships.

Coal ash is only dangerous when humans are in minimal contact for small amounts of time. So when you live your entire life in Mooresville, a town with hundreds of thousands of tons of coal ash underneath, there is no need for concern. 

We took to the streets of Mooresville to hear from residents. 

“Duke Energy has a history of battling the EPA regarding the safety of coal ash and how it should be handled,” claims resident and self proclaimed supporter of Duke Energy, Ashton Harrison. “Throughout those battles, they’ve always had our best interests in mind. We should be proud to have a powerhouse like Duke Energy on our side.”

Another resident, Matthew Smith, seems to trust the science that Duke Energy conducts, “Why should we trust the opinions of doctors and research when we have Duke Energy telling us it is perfectly safe and we should let them go about their business unrestricted?”

“Go Blue Devils” says a slightly mistaken resident. 

The Mooresville News team believes the answer is clear. If there was any real danger, surely someone would have stopped it by now.