RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Now it’s time for neighbors and people interested in Duke Energy coal ash pits around the state to have their say about how risky they are and how quickly they should be closed.
The state Department of Environmental Quality starts a series of public meetings Tuesday near the 14 coal-plant sites. The department has proposed classifications for cleaning up each dump in North Carolina.
The hearings Tuesday in Asheville, Eden, Dallas and Wilmington involve the four top-priority sites where the potentially toxic sludge is stored.
State officials say the public’s comments will be considered before the agency makes its final decisions.
The meetings wrap up March 29 in Hickory near Duke Energy’s Marshall Steam Station.
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