Waterkeeper responds to the threat of another coal ash pond failure in the wake of Hurricane Florence
By: Donna Lisenby
Santee Cooper’s Proactive Remediation May Prevent the Severe Contamination Seen at Duke Energy Plants in North Carolina
CONWAY, S.C.—Waterkeeper Alliance has been monitoring coal ash ponds at Dolphus M. Grainger Generating Station on the banks of the still-rising Waccamaw River with teams from Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility.
By working in advance of the storm to safeguard their coal ash ponds, Santee Cooper may have prevented events similar to the severe coal ash spills Waterkeeper Alliance has documented at Duke Energy facilities in North Carolina.
Waterkeeper Alliance has been monitoring coal ash ponds at Dolphus M. Grainger Generating Station on the banks of the still-rising Waccamaw River with teams from Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility.“Unlike Duke Energy — a far larger utility that made $3.06 billion in profit last year — Santee Cooper acted with diligence to decrease the threat posed by their coal ash,” said Cara Schildtknecht, Waccamaw Riverkeeper.
Before the storm hit, Santee Cooper had already excavated Grainger’s Ash Pond No. 1, the most flood-prone ash pond at the plant. The pond flooded at 9:00 am on Saturday, but thanks to Santee Cooper’s pre-storm excavation efforts, Waterkeeper Alliance does not expect the spill will be a significant source of heavy metal pollution. Waterkeeper Alliance began sampling on Monday and will continue sampling through the week. Coal ash is the top source of toxic water pollution in the country.
Although the river is closed to public boat traffic, Santee Cooper, the U.S. Coast Guard and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources allowed our boat crew to conduct water sampling above and below both ash ponds as well as inside ash pond 1. In order to collect the sample inside ash pond 1, Santee Cooper took Waccamaw Riverkeeper Cara Schildtknecht into the pond in their airboat—the only safe way to collect the water sample.
While Santee Cooper crews worked to restore power across their service area, they also scrambled to elevate the top of Ash Pond No. 2 with a $375,000 Aqua Dam. It raised the dam height by 30 inches and is currently holding back the floodwaters of the rising Waccamaw River. Ash Pond 2 is the only remaining active ash pond at the plant. It contains roughly 200,000 tons of coal ash. Santee Cooper is also spending $18,000 a day on a contract helicopter to place large sandbags if needed.
The Waccamaw is expected to crest Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at 22 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The prior record was 17.87 feet.
Waterkeeper Alliance also conducted boat patrols and water sampling at Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee and L.V. Sutton facilities after Hurricane Florence hit. “Those patrols, and our aerial photos of ash ponds at the sites, showed no evidence of proactive measures like the use of an Aqua Dam and large sandbags to safeguard adjacent waterways,” said Donna Lisenby, global advocacy manager of Waterkeeper Alliance.
Santee Cooper has consistently coordinated with its local partners to apprise the public of their commendable efforts to protect their coal ash ponds. This is in contrast to Duke Energy, whose performance to prevent spills from their ash ponds has been far less proactive, protective and effective.
“The utility has kept me informed every step of the way in their efforts to prevent coal ash from reaching the Waccamaw River during this historic flood event,” Schildtknecht said. “I believe they have done everything humanly possible to protect downstream communities from a potential coal ash release.”
Waterkeeper Alliance staff and local Waterkeeper Organizations will be sending water samples to send to a state-certified lab to test for heavy metals and other toxins. Our photos and video are available for download here.
The Waterkeeper Alliance Rapid Response initiative provides trusted and independent information following disasters on our waterways. In a climate of lax federal regulations and budget cuts to state departments of environmental conservation, the need for Waterkeeper Organizations and Waterkeeper Affiliates to speak truth about the devastating impacts of water emergencies on communities has never been greater. Waterkeeper groups will remain involved as long as necessary in order to assure that proper clean-up, mitigation, and enforcement is completed.
Contact:
Cara Schildtknecht, Winyah Rivers Foundation, [email protected], (843) 779-2227
Donna Lisenby, Waterkeeper Alliance, [email protected], (704) 277-6055
Maia Raposo, Waterkeeper Alliance, [email protected], (203) 824-2229