So it appears Duke Energy was pumping wastewater from coal ash ponds in Moncure into a tributary that feeds into the Cafe Fear River.
At least that’s what the state is saying. WRAL reports today that Department of Environment and Natural Resources has cited Duke Energy for pumping an estimated 61 million gallons of the coal ash pond wastewater into the tributary. According to WRAL, officials have notified downstream cities — which includes Sanford, which is about 13 miles from the Moncure site — of the illegal pumping and are collecting water samples from the Cape Fear for testing.
The state has ramped up inspections on coal ash ponds since the Feb. 2 spill from a Duke wastewater plant that polluted 70 miles of the Dan River.