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Coal Ash Information Forum – LIVE! (11/17/2014)

We’re LIVE! at the Institute for a Coal Ash Spill Community Information Forum. The meeting runs from 6PM to 8PM and you’ll get the only LIVE coverage of this event here on SouthsideCentral. Here’s the media release on what is going to happen today…

You are invited to a Community Information Forum where you will have an opportunity to express your concerns about the February 2, 2014 Dan River coal ash release, to hear updates about what has occurred to date, and to offer your ideas about what could be done to further address your concerns. Duke Energy has asked the University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation and Virginia Cooperative Extension to conduct this Community Information Forum. The meeting will be facilitated by Frank Dukes of the University of Virginia.

Following the February 2, 2014 coal ash release into the Dan River, Duke Energy has worked in collaboration with local governments and regulatory agencies to protect public drinking water, gather data on Dan River water quality and natural resources, and remove ash from the river. At this Community Information Forum Duke Energy will provide information on river monitoring and ash removal. Trustees administering the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration process will provide information on assessment of injuries to natural resources and human use services, and restoration project selection. In addition to the efforts focused on the Dan River, Duke Energy is seeking input regarding the community impacts of the coal ash release and ideas for how to address these impacts.

Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest happenings, commentary and photos. We’ll add more bonus coverage when we clean this article up tonight.

We’re underway. Mark Oakley from Duke Energy will speak first.


Oakley repeats what the Duke Energy president said… “We are accountable”. Their goals are “Give the community a voice, Inform, Listen, Respond and Follow Through”.

Good turnout tonight, around 60 people. No Danville City Council members, James Snead from the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors.

Katie Whitehead asks about why the cleanups at the other coal ash pits haven’t started. Speaker says the process has started. Next speaker from Duke Energy talks about the methodology of testing and sampling.

Andrew Lester asks about the monitoring of Kerr Lake, saying that is the final destination of the coal ash. Speaker says no specific testing of the water entrance to Kerr Lake, but they are analyzing where and how the sediment flows.

An audience member tries to link the Camp Lejeune water contamination to the coal ash spill. Um. No.

US Fish & Wildlife Service representative speaks next.

There’s no new real information so far tonight. It’s just been a recap of what we’ve known so far. The second speaker talked more about the methodology of testing, but that’s not big news. That being said, this has been the best forum on the coal ash spill.

Demographic observation: At most two members of the audience are less than 40 years old. I’m not sure what to think of that yet.

I’m going to add more on this article on Tuesday.

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