Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) will hold hearings for public comment in February on the plans to excavate coal ash at six Duke Energy facilities.

This follows the December 31, 2019 settlement agreement in which Duke Energy agreed to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash at the Allen, Belews Creek, Cliffside, Marshall, Mayo and Roxboro sites to be placed in lined, onsite landfills.

Duke has submitted closure plans for the excavations by the December 31, 2019, deadline, as required by the Coal Ash Management Act (CAMA) of 2016 and in accordance with the agreement. Closure plans, public notices and details on how to submit public comments are online at: https://deq.nc.gov/news/key-issues/coal-ash-excavation.

Each public session will start with a meeting to provide information and answer questions immediately followed by a public hearing to record public comments. The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the following dates:

Feb. 10: Mayo Power Station Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: North End Elementary School located at 378 Mill Creek Road, Roxboro

Feb. 18: Belews Creek Steam Station Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: Walnut Cove Elementary School (Gymnasium) located at 1211 Walnut Cove School Road, Walnut Cove

Feb. 19: Roxboro Power Station Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: North Elementary School (Cafeteria) located at 260 Henderson Road, Roxboro

Feb. 25: Cliffside Steam Station / Rogers Energy Complex Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: Chase High School (Cafeteria) located at 1603 Chase High Rd, Forest City

Feb. 26: Marshall Steam Station Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: Bandys High School (Cafeteria) located at 5040 E Bandys Cross Road, Catawba

Feb. 27: Allen Steam Station Closure Plans
♦ Location/Address: Stuart Cramer High School (Gymnasium) located at 101 Lakewood Road, Belmont