By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – New landfill legislation making its way through the state house has a provision dealing with the kind of landfill Progress Energy wants to build in New Hanover County.
The proposed landfill would be located on company's property on Sutton Steam Plant Road.
A version of the bill making its way through the general assembly outlines what must be done to line a landfill containing coal combustion products - or ash that comes from a coal-burning power plant.
According to the bill, the landfill must have two liners with a system to monitor and detect any leakage. Under that layer would be a third liner and at least two feet of soil.
The legislation also requires a clean up plan incase there are any leaks.
Progress Energy wants a special use permit to build a dry ash landfill on its property to replace two ponds currently storing coal ash. The company says it wants to build the landfill because its ponds are near capacity.
Progress Energy owns nine coal-burning plants in the southeast. The company says it will only store ash from its New Hanover County plant at the landfill.
The matter was tabled at a July county planning board meeting and is expected to resurface sometime this fall.
Click here to view a satellite image of proposed landfill site.
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