Duke Energy announces pending release of coal ash maps after SELC files notice

Duke Energy decided today to release previously withheld dam safety information for its coal ash sites two days after SELC filed notice of legal action on behalf of citizens’ groups. The utiilty said the information will become available in the coming weeks.

The maps show surrounding areas that would be damaged by a failure of Duke Energy’s dangerous coal ash storage sites. This information, required by law, is designed to let nearby and downstream communities know the risks they face and also how to respond when a coal ash disaster occurs.

It is a shame that citizens have to threaten to sue Duke Energy to get it to obey the law. The public should have had this emergency information for months. Duke Energy has this information and has blacked it out. There is no reason that it cannot be made public immediately. Communities across North Carolina should look closely at these flood maps once Duke Energy reluctantly makes them public to see what threats Duke Energy has imposed on the families of North Carolina.