Duke Energy update on H.F. Lee Power Plant in Goldsboro, N.C.

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Oct 15, 2016, 06:08 ET

GOLDSBORO, N.C., Oct. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Site inspections at the H.F. Lee Power Plant in Goldsboro, N.C., today confirm there was only very minor erosion of material from an inactive coal ash basin on the site.

The majority of that material, which includes coal ash, remained very close to the inactive basin, on the berm or a few feet away on the basin roadway.

The state team that inspected the facility determined that the amount of material that was displaced would not even fill the bed of an average pickup truck.

Water samples taken on Oct. 12, just downstream of the inactive basins, showed no measurable ash-related constituents in the Neuse River.

The inactive basins have well-established cover – including organic material, grass, shrubs and trees – and have performed as expected in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew with minimal erosion.

Click here to see examples of the minor erosion observed in the inactive basin, as well as other images taken at the facility in the past few days.

Because some water remains in the cooling pond, the H.F. Lee natural gas plant can operate, if needed, to serve customers.

State inspections today also determined that the active coal ash basin continues to perform well as flood waters recede. In recent months, the company made enhancements to the structure, including a covering of rip rap (rocks).

Duke Energy engineers and environmental experts will continue to closely inspect and monitor the H.F. Lee facilities as the flood waters recede.

In June 2015, the company recommended excavation of ash because of potential flooding at the facility. That is now a requirement under North Carolina's coal ash management law and that work is to be completed by Aug. 1, 2028.

About Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable energy portfolio.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

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SOURCE Duke Energy