NC0000396_EMC SOC Report_20200423

DUKE
ENERGY®
April 23, 2020
Via Overnight Mail
Landon Davidson
Asheville Regional Office Regional Supervisor
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
Water Resources - Water Quality Regional Operations
2090 U.S. 70 Highway
Swannanoa, NC 28778-8211
Bob Sledge
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Water Quality Permitting Program
Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
Jaynes Wells
Vice President
Environmental, Health and Safety
Programs & Environmental Sciences
526 South Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
[phone]
I I I
Water Quality Regional Operations
Asheville Regional Office
Subject: Report Under Special Order by Consent — EMC SOC WQ S 17-010
Duke Energy Progress, LLC — Asheville Steam Electric Plant
NPDES Permit NC0000396
Quarterly Progress Report for 1st Quarter 2020
Dear Messrs. Davidson and Sledge:
On behalf of Duke Energy Progress, LLC (DEP), I am submitting to you the Asheville Steam
Electric Plant Progress Report summarizing the work and activities undertaken with respect to
closure of coal ash surface impoundments as required by the Asheville Steam Electric Plant
NPDES Permit NC0000396 Special Order by Consent (SOC), SOC No. S17-010 Section 2.c.2).
As required by the SOC, I certify under penalty of law that this document and all attachments were
prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that
qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry
of the person or persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for
gathering the information, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
true, accurate, and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false
information, including the possibility of fine and imprisonment for knowing violations.

Messrs. Davidson and Sledge
April 23, 2020
Page 2
Please direct any questions concerning the Asheville Steam Electric Plant NPDES Permit
NC0000396 SOC No. S 17-010 to Robert Wylie at [phone].
Sincerely,
James Vlls
Vice President, Environment, Health & Safety -
Programs and Environmental Sciences
Duke Energy
CC: Richard Baker, Duke Energy
Robert Wylie, Duke Energy
Tina Woodward, Duke Energy
Teresa Williams, Duke Energy
George Hamrick, Duke Energy
Paul Draovitch, Duke Energy
Matt Hanchey, Duke Energy
Randy Hart, Duke Energy
Henry Duperier, Duke Energy

NPDES PERMIT NC0000396
SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT EMC SOC S17-010
QUARTERLY EXCAVATION PROGRESS REPORT
ASHEVILLE STEAM ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT
APRIL 23, 2020

Background and Summary
On October 10, 2018, Duke Energy Progress, LLC (DEP) and the North Carolina Environmental
Management Commission entered into a Special Order by Consent — EMC SOC S17.010 (SOC) applicable
to the Asheville Steam Electric Generating Plant (Asheville). This report is submitted in accordance with
Section 2.c.2) of the SOC. In compliance with Section 2.c.2), this report summarizes the work and activities
undertaken with respect to decanting work and closure of coal ash surface impoundments at Asheville.
The quarterly reports are due no later than the last day of January, April, July, and Octoberfor the duration
of the SOC.
The Asheville Steam Electric Generating Plant is located in Arden, NC, approximately eight miles south of
Asheville, NC. The 2 original coal units were retired on January 31, 2020 when the new natural gas
combined cycle units were commissioned. The site originally contained two ash basins. The 1982 Ash
Basin was excavated, verified clean, and turned over for construction of the natural gas combined -cycle
plant in September 2016.
Excavation of the 1964 Basin is ongoing. Excavation and transportation to the R&B Landfill in Homer,
Georgia was completed in December 2019. Transportation of ash for beneficial re -use was initiated on
March 30, 2020 and a total of 334 tons were transported to Roanoke Cement in Roanoke, VA, during the
period January 1, 2020 - March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2020, approximately 6,955,000 tons of ash have
been excavated from the Asheville site, in total. Construction of the onsite landfill for the storage of the
remaining ash in the 1964 Basin, excluding ash used for beneficial re -use, was initiated on March 4, 2020.
The Mountain Energy Act of 2015 amended the Coal Ash Management Act of 2014 closure date for the
Asheville site from August 1, 2019 to August 1, 2022. The current plan is for Asheville to complete
excavation by February 28, 2022 and perform ash removal verification procedures in advance of the
August 1, 2022 compliance date. At present, Asheville is not at risk for excavation within the required
timeframe.
The 1964 Ash Basin is currently void of free-standing water, except for the newly -constructed, lined
retention basin (LRB) and the lined Center Pond (part of the rim ditch wastewater treatment system) and
some rainfall that gets collected and pumped to the LRB. The LRB is a lined retention pond, to which
stormwater and process water that were previously managed through the Duck Pond have been diverted.
Flows into the LRB are captured and pumped to the newly constructed water treatment system, and the
treated wastewater then flows to the permitted NPDES Outfall001. The LRB and water treatment system
were commissioned and started operations in November 2019. The Rim Ditch waste water treatment
system, including the Center Pond, will be decommissioned during 2020. This decommissioning activity
has started with the seep collection system for 64 EO-1, 2 and 3 being taken out of service and NPDES
outfall 101 being placed into service in February 2020.
On July 12, 2018, the site commenced interstitial dewatering of the 1964 Ash Basin, which will continue
until approximately Q3 2022. Duke Energy received a new NPDES wastewater permit for the Asheville
site which became effective on December 1, 2018. This permit was subsequently modified on May 24,
2019, with a new effective date of July 1, 2019.
Asheville: 2

Ash Transported Off Site in Thousands of Tons I October 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020
Asheville Ash Transportation
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Ash Transported Off Site in Millions of Tons I January 2015 to February 2022
Asheville Ash Transportation
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Asheville: 3