GREENSBORO, N.C. - Radioactive is the word being used to describe coal ash in North Carolina. Duke University released findings from a recent study on coal ash.
Hold that thought because we just want to jog your memory about coal ash before we tell you the study findings. Coal ash is the material produced when energy companies use coal to produce electricity. Duke Energy accidently dumped nearly 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River. As far as Duke Energy and the EPA is concerned, the clean-up of the Dan River is done. But Duke Energy stores coal ash at 32 sites across the state.
University researchers tested coal ash and found levels of radioactivity were up to five times higher than what is found in normal soil. Scientist say that raises concern about the environment and human health risks.
2 Wants To Know asked Duke Energy about this research. They responded to us was this statement:
"This issue has been researched over many years. The U.S. Geologic Survey notes the majority of coal fly ash is not significantly enriched in radioactive elements, and this does not represent a health concern for plant neighbors. In the recent groundwater assessments we've performed, we analyzed some groundwater monitoring wells for a broad range of radioactive isotopes. In many cases, isotopes were not detectable in the monitoring wells downgradient from ash basins but are present at similar or higher levels in background wells on plant property that have not been influenced by ash basins. We also know from our assessments that groundwater flow around ash basins is not heading toward neighbors' private wells."
So you have two scientists saying two totally different findings. Who do you believe? Let's dig deeper with a third study as a tie breaker for these two sides.
The EPA discovered coal ash doesn't really impact an ecosystem in the long run. The agency knows this because it intentionally did not clean up all of a coal ash spill in Tennessee in 2008. The EPA wanted to see what would happen to the animals.
That testing looked at 20 different types of wildlife. Both on land and some living under water. All of the wildlife live in one section of the Emory River. It's the part the EPA didn't clean-up. You can't tell from just looking at the clear water, but 300,000 tons of coal ash is still there.
For the last five years researchers tested birds, turtles, fish. The results? No long-term problems.
"The data that I'm seeing from 2013 says this system has basically recovered to pre-spill conditions," Craig Zeller with the EPA said.
The only creature of concern: insects. Scientists estimate their population decreased by 25 percent.
"This ash when it gets down into the substrate can get kinda crusty. I wouldn't say as hard as concrete, but it gets a little crust to it. So it could be the fact that the bugs could not burrow into it," Zeller said.
To see if the crusty coal ash would impact the rest of the ecosystem, the EPA tested the animal which eats the insects: the tree swallow. Scientists built bird houses as central nesting areas to test eggs and baby birds. All the tests so far have come back clean - no problems.
So why spend money to clean up any coal ash spill? The EPA says it's still possible one day - in the future- there could be a problem.
"You could. We just don't know here," Zeller said.
Again, the EPA left about 300,000 tons of coal ash in Tennessee's Emory River for testing purposes. The North Carolina spill was 39,000 tons. So the EPA says it's likely the ash in North Carolina will not have a major impact:
"I would expect the results to be very similar to what we found here," Zeller said.
