Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for energy. The ash, which is filled with toxins, is collected in ponds around the state. A pipe running under one of a ponds run by Duke Energy in Eden NC ruptured in February of 2014. The coal ash spilled, affecting the Dan River. The spill is the third largest of its kind in U.S. history.
How much coal ash was disbursed into the Dan River?
Between 30,0000 tons and 39,000 tons
How much will it cost to clean up the ash per river mile?
1 million dollars per mile
How many miles down river has the coal ash spread?
70
How much will it cost to clean the Dan River of the coal ash?
70 million dollars
And then there's this...
Our colleagues at North Carolina Health News have whipped up an interactive timeline to trace the beginnings of the plant in Eden NC through the current coal ash spill. The timeline starts with 1948, when "Duke Energy began construction of a coal-fired power plant in Eden, NC."
>> Browse more most recent stories related to the coal ash spill.
