Asheville 1964 Ash Basin Ash Removal Completion Letter_20220706

DUKE
ENERGY
July 6, 2022
VIA UPS OVERNIGHT DELIVERY AND ELECTRONIC MAIL
Sushma Masemore, Assistant Secretary
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ)
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh BC 27699
217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
Jessica L. Bednarcik
Senior Vice President
Environmental Health & Safety
Coal Combustion Products
526 South Church Street, EC05A
Charlotte, NC 28202
o: 704.382.8768
c: 704.907.8628
[e-mail]
RE: Asheville Steam Electric Generating Plant, Buncombe County, Notification of
Completion of Part II, Section 1(b)(3) of the Coal Ash Management Act of 2014
(Session Law 2014-122) (CAMA)
Dear Ms. Masemore:
Please accept this letter as formal notification to the North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) that Duke Energy has completed closure in accordance with
CAMA of the coal combustion residuals (CCR) surface impoundments at its Asheville Steam
Electric Generating Plant (Asheville).
Section 3.(b)(3) of CAMA deemed the CCR surface impoundments at Asheville as "high -priority"
and required that they be closed no later than August 1, 2019 in accordance with Section 3.(c),
which directs that the impoundments be closed by dewatering and that the CCR be removed to
a permitted landfill or structural fill. This closure date was revised by the Mountain Energy Act
of 2015 (Session Law 2015-110) (Mountain Energy Act) to August 1, 2022.
The dewatering and removal of CCR from the Asheville 1982 Ash Basin was completed on
September 30, 2016, and excavation of the 1964 Ash Basin was similarly completed on June
23, 2022, as required under the Mountain Energy Act. CCR removal was completed in
accordance with the Asheville Coal Ash Excavation Plan. As requested by NCDEQ's letter to
Duke Energy dated January 22, 2019,' for the 1964 Ash Basin, Duke Energy will submit a report
describing (i) where the CCR was taken and in what amounts, and (ii) the results of the actions
taken in accordance with Duke Energy's Excavation Soil Sampling Plan. Duke Energy expects
to submit the report by September 30, 2022.
With the completion of dewatering and removal activities at Asheville, Duke Energy has
completed closure by removal of all the CCR surface impoundments deemed "high -priority"
under CAMA with the statutory time frames. Duke Energy will continue to comply with all other
requirements and deadlines established under CAMA, including annual inspections, annual
reporting, groundwater monitoring, and groundwater corrective action.
' Although NCDEQ specifically drafted this letter to addresses closure of the high -priority impoundments
at the Riverbend Steam Station, the letter generally establishes NCDEQ's position regarding how Duke
Energy should "demonstrate compliance with Session Law 2014-122's closure requirements."

Page 2 of 2
July 6, 2022
If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the information provided, feel free to
contact Randy Hart at Randy. Hart(a-duke-energy.com or 980-373-5630 at your convenience.
Respectful ubmitted,
Jessica L. Bednarcik
SVP, EHS & CCP
NCDEQ cc: dam safety(d-)ncdenr.gov, deg. coalash(�ncdenr.gov, Shelia Holman, Ed
Mussler, Toby Vinson, Josh Colley
Duke Energy cc: Dan Mc Rainey, Jim Wells, Tim Hill, Michael Kafka, David Dellario
John Toepfer, Ashley Healey, Randy Hart