_Allen Meeting Officer Report_20160422

Waste Management
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
In 1 DI►I [t] :7_\►1 Il ll►I
April 22, 2016
To: Donald R. van der Vaart, Secretary
From: Larry Frost, Engineer
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Subject: Meeting Officer's Report
Coal Ash Impoundment Classification(s)
G.G. Allen Steam Station, Gaston County
PAT MCCRORY
Governor
DONALD R. VAN DER VAART
Secretary
MICHAEL SCOTT
Acting Director
Digitally signed by LYF
DN: cn=LYF, o=DWM, ou=SWS,
email=larry.frost@ncden r.gov,
c=u5
Date: 2016.05.12 12:11:52
-04'00'
On March 22, 2016, I served as meeting officer for a public meeting held at the Gaston
Community College in Dallas, NC. The purpose of the public meeting was to allow the public to
comment on the proposed risk classification for coal combustion residuals impoundments at the
G.G. Allen Steam Station. This report summarizes all of the public comments related to the
proposed risk classification for the G.G. Allen Steam Station.
This report has been prepared using the following outline:
I. History/Background
II. March 22, 2016 Public Meeting and Oral Comments Summary
III. Written Public Comments Summary
IV. Attachments
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Waste Management
1646 Mail Service Center 1217 West Jones Street I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1646
919 707 8200 T

Meeting Officer's Report
Coal Ash Impoundment Classification(s)
G.G. Allen Steam Station, Gaston County
April 22, 2016
Page 2 of 5
I. History/Background
Under the historic Coal Ash Management Act (CAMA) of 2014, all coal ash impoundments in
North Carolina are required to be closed. The deadlines for closure depend on the classification
of each impoundment as low, intermediate, or high. CAMA required the Department of
Environmental Quality, or DEQ, to make available to the public the initial draft proposed
classifications no later than Dec. 31, 2015. These draft proposed classifications were based on
the information available to the department as of December 2015.
It is also important to note that these were not the final proposed classifications. After the release
of the draft proposed classifications, CAMA requires the following process:
• DEQ must make available a written declaration that provides the documentation to
support the draft proposed classifications within 30 days, which will be made available
on the DEQ website. The written declaration will provide the technical and scientific
background data and analyses and describe in detail how each impoundment was
evaluated.
• DEQ will publish a summary of the declaration weekly for three consecutive weeks in a
newspaper in each county where a coal ash facility is located.
• The declaration will be provided to each local health director and made available in a
library in each county where a coal ash facility is located.
• The summary of the declaration will be provided to each person who makes a request.
• A public meeting will be held in each county where a coal ash facility is located.
• Following completion of the public meetings and the submission of comments, the
department will consider the comments and develop final proposed classifications.
Subsequent to the issuance of DEQ's initial draft proposed classifications, fourteen public
meetings were held across the state to receive oral comments from the public in addition to
the open public comment period that ended on April 18, 2016. Meetings were held in each
County in which a site is located (Attachment I -Public Notice). DEQ will consider all public
comments received and issue its final classification for each impoundment by May 18, 2016.
H. March 22, 2016 Public Meeting and Oral Comments Summary
Approximately 230 people attended the public hearing (Attachment II -Attendance Forms),
including staff members of the DEQ and the meeting officer. A total of 37 individuals
completed the sign -in form at the meeting (Attachment III -Speakers Forms). As meeting officer,
I provided opening comments and a brief presentation on the proposed risk classification for the
G.G. Allen Steam Station.

Meeting Officer's Report
Coal Ash Impoundment Classification(s)
G.G. Allen Steam Station, Gaston County
April 22, 2016
Page 3 of 5
Thirty-seven (37) individuals registered before the meeting to make comments, thirty-five (35)
actually made comments. Speakers were given four minutes for initial presentations and
additional time was provided after everyone that registered to speak was finished. The list of
speakers is included as Attachment IV. The following is a summary of oral comments received
at the public meeting summarized by topic (in no particular order):
• Health Issues — The speakers were most concerned about drinking water in the area of
the G.G. Allen Steam Station, primarily hexavalent chromium and vanadium that has
been detected. The speakers expressed being confused and angered by the letters sent
to them by state officials regarding the safety of their drinking water. The speakers
gave specific examples of cancer related deaths in the area and are concerned that the
mortality rate in the area are higher due to coal ash contamination including;
groundwater, airborne and surface water. The speakers demanded immediate action
regarding a solution to drinking water issues.
• Ash Basin Classification — The speakers expressed that G.G. Allen is not a low
priority site and demanded the site be rated as high priority if possible or at least
intermediate. The speakers expressed concerns with the classification process and
requested greater input and citizens over -site. Speakers expressed that the
classification process is moving too fast.
• Groundwater — The speakers expressed concern over extensive groundwater
contamination in the area. The speakers expressed concern that the models being used
by Duke are in error, are incorrect, should be expanded and Duke is unwilling to
change the models.
• Surface Water — The speakers expressed concerns that discharges from the
impoundments are impairing the waters of the lake, with impacts to drinking water,
fishing and recreation.
• Dam Safety — The speakers have concerns regarding impacts on the lake if the dams
were to fail as they did at the Dan River Steam Station.
• Property Value — The speakers commented that their property values have dropped as
a result of not being able to drink from their wells.
• Landfills — The speakers commented that all the coal ash should be removed and
disposed of properly, placed in lined landfills, and no coal ash should be capped in
place.
• Off-site — The speakers commented that several area communities were developed or
constructed adjacent to or over coal ash fills, that are not within the property of G.G.
Allen Steam Station.
• Other — A speaker from Duke Energy did outline cleanup activity and expressed
support for Duke's activities. Speaker expressed concern over where Dr. Roudo is
and that Dr. Williams is an ObGyn.

Meeting Officer's Report
Coal Ash Impoundment Classification(s)
G.G. Allen Steam Station, Gaston County
April 22, 2016
Page 4 of 5
III. Written Public Comment Summary
In addition to the public meeting, DEQ received written comments during the public comment
period. DEQ received 5 comments that were hand -submitted during the public meeting
(Attachment V -Supporting Documentation) and 53 letters were sent via United States Postal
Service mail (Attachment VI -USPS Comment). There were 971 comments received via email.
The following is a summary of the written comments received during the comment period (in no
particular order):
• Health Issues — Most were concerned about drinking water in the area of the G.G.
Allen Steam Station, primarily hexavalent chromium and vanadium that has been
detected. They expressed being confused and angered by the letters sent to them by
state officials regarding the safety of their drinking water. They gave specific
examples of cancer related deaths in the area and are concerned that the mortality rate
in the area are higher due to coal ash contamination including; groundwater, airborne
and surface water. And they demanded immediate action regarding a solution to
drinking water issues.
• Ash Basin Classification — Most stated that G.G. Allen is not a low priority site and
demanded the site be rated as high priority if possible or at least intermediate. They
expressed concerns with the classification process and requested greater input and
citizens over -site.
• Groundwater — They expressed concern over extensive groundwater contamination in
the area. Some expressed concern that the models being used by Duke are in error,
are incorrect, should be expanded and Duke is unwilling to change the models.
• Surface Water — Some expressed concerns that discharges from the impoundments
are impairing the waters of the lake, with impacts to drinking water, fishing and
recreation.
• Dam Safety — There are concerns regarding impacts on the lake if the dams were to
fail as they did at the Dan River Steam Station.
• Property Value — Many commented that their property values have dropped as a
result of not being able to drink from their wells.
• Landfills — They commented that all the coal ash should be removed and disposed of
properly, placed in lined landfills, and no coal ash should be capped in place.
Note: The majority of the emails received appear to have been electronically generated with 5
messages being repeated.

Meeting Officer's Report
Coal Ash Impoundment Classification(s)
G.G. Allen Steam Station, Gaston County
April 22, 2016
Page 5 of 5
IV. Attachments
I. Public Notice of March 22, 2016 Meeting
II. Public Meeting Sign -in Forms
III. Public Meeting Speaker List
IV. Audio File of Public Meeting (Unavailable)
V. Written Public Comments Received
VI. Supporting documentation received during public hearing
VII. Meeting Notes
VIII. Public Comment Summary Spreadsheet
IX. File of Public Meeting
Note: The email record is available from OITS.