Coal Ash Landfill Collapses In NC Due To Florence: Report

WILMINGTON, NC -- A slope has collapsed at a coal ash landfill in Wilmington due to heavy rains from the Florence, according to Duke Energy.

Stormwater "may have come into contact with coal ash from a lined landfall" at the Sutton Power Plant in Wilmington, Duke Energy said in a statement.

"Because of the heavy rainfall amounts, it is difficult to calculate the amount of water that may have reached Sutton Lake, the cooling pond that was constructed to support plant operations," the statement adds. "Inspections today identified a slope failure and erosion in one section of the coal ash landfill, which displaced about 2,000 cubic yards of material and would fill about two-thirds of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The majority of displaced ash was collected in a perimeter ditch and haul road that surrounds the landfill and is on plant property."

(Stay on top of all the latest Hurricane Florence news with our free, real-time news alerts, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which can all pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water and the air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The company, however does not believe that the incident poses any threat to the public or the environment, but the company is conducting environmental sampling to learn more.

"Site personnel are managing the situation and will proceed with a full repair as weather conditions improve," the statement notes. "Ash basins, which are being excavated, and the cooling pond continue to operate safely."

The incident highlights the risk across the region of landslides due to Florence.

The Blue Ridge Parkway called for a mandatory evacuation of campgrounds over fears of landslides that might pose a risk to campers. North Carolina also announced that it would close all state parks through at least Sunday, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Hurricane Florence -- now a tropical depression -- has dropped more than 30 inches of rain in the heaviest hit areas, with more rain on the way as it slowly moves west and then takes a turn north.

WILMINGTON, NC - SEPTEMBER 16: A car is stuck on a flooded street, on September 16, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence hit Wilmington as a category 1 storm causing widespread damage and flooding across North Carolina. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)