Duke Energy Announces Removal of Coal Ash from Fifth Site

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) said it will excavate a portion of the coal ash from the W.S. Lee Power Station in South Carolina. W.S. Lee is the fifth plant where Duke Energy has said it will remove ash since the Dan River spill in North Carolina.

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Duke Energy made the announcement Tuesday to the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC). There are currently two active ash basins on the W.S. Lee site. The site also has an inactive ash basin, a structural fill and an ash fill that were built in the 1950s.

"Based on the engineering work we've conducted at the site, we are opting to pursue a fully lined solution for the ash located in the inactive basin and the ash fill, while we continue evaluating the best closure method for the remaining ash," said John Elnitsky, Duke Energy's senior vice president for ash basin strategy, in a statement.

The company's evaluation determined a capping system would not be suitable for the inactive basin and fill area. The inactive basin's dike walls are steep and would require extensive tree removal and additional work to make that location appropriate for long-term storage.

Duke Energy has said it will evaluate a variety of disposal options, including a landfill on plant property, or relocating the ash to an off-site landfill or structural fill.

After the Dan River spill in February, Duke said it planned to excavate ash at three of its North Carolina power plants: Riverbend Steam Station, Asheville Power Station, and Dan River Steam Station.

North Carolina legislators also said coal ash had to be removed from the Louis V. Sutton plant in Wilmington. Duke must close 10 other ash ponds at its North Carolina plants within 15 years.

The W.S. Lee Power Station, a 370-megawatt (MW) plant, has been in operation since 1951. The plant is expected to stop using coal by early 2015. Unit 3 is being converted to natural gas, and a 750-MW natural gas, combined-cycle plant will be constructed on the site.

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