20150042 Ver 1_Laura Young_20150516

Strickland, Bev
From: Laura Young <dewdancefarm @gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2015 4:33 PM
To: SVC_DENR.publiccomments
Subject: DWM, DEMLR, 401
I am a Lee county resident and have been living on my property and using only organic methods since 1986.
The property has been in the family since 1958 and I had intended to pass it on to my children. My property is
located less than 3 miles from the proposed coal ash dump. I raise poultry and fiber animals and I have a horse
and pets as well. Our poultry, sheep and goat flocks are Animal Welfare Approved. I also have a large garden
which supplies my family with food and I sell and donate produce as well. We have a pond which is spring fed
and obviously collects rainwater and runoff The pond is our source of water for our livestock and garden. It is
also a source of food(fish) for ourselves and some neighbors. We also open our farm for educational programs
on occassion. In the past I have given tours to special needs children, participated in the Carolina Farm
Stewardship farm tours which educate the public on small farms, had Title 1 school group come, 4 -H groups
have come, classes from the sustainable agriculture program at CCCC have come. Any pollutants in the air or
water would prevent me from selling the products as organic or selling the land as an organic farm. It would
also endanger my status as Animal Welfare Approved. I have chosen to live this lifestyle because, I want to
provide my family with clean healthy and ethically produced food and fiber, and I have sensitivities to truck
exhaust fumes. I have no other investments and a choice between the health of my animals and myself, and my
home would be very painful. I have spent my adult life creating the home and lifestyle of my dreams. Much of
it created with my personal labor, and at 62 years old I probably do not have time to create this home
somewhere else. And I don't believe I should be forced off my property by a corporation that is looking for the
cheapest way out of a problem they created when they have huge financial profits and the technology exists to
deal with the problem on the coal ash sites without moving it. I am certain there are others like me. I met a
man at the farmers' market in Sanford who lives on Farrel Rd near the Colon Rd site. He makes organic
fertilizer and this could impact his work but he has not sent in comments because he does not have access to a
computer or email. Duke is dumping on a population that does not have the resources to fight them. One
county commissioner told me the county did not have the funds to launch a legal battle with Duke or the
legislature over taking away our local control. As a community we are counting on DENR to raise the
questions and insist on sincere answers and follow through.
My concerns include but are not limited to:
1. Transporting the coal ash comes with a risk of spills and coal ash becoming airborne and landing on my land
and pond. Treating in place seems safer.
2. The coal ash has been found to pollute groudwater where it is. Bringing it to Lee County only brings the
distinct possibility of polluting a previously unpolluted area.
3. The disturbance of wetlands in this area that already had wetlands destroyed by the building of an airport has
a detrimental effect that is cumulative.
4. This area is also targeted by the state legislature's desire to pursue hydraulic fracturing. Evidence is mounting
that hydraulic fracturing increases the risk of earthquakes. Any earthquakes would have potential to result in
damage to the coal ash dump that would lead to leaking of coal ash comtaminants into the groundwater.
5. Calling this mine reclamation/ beneficial use is misleading. The proposal would not restore the land to its
original topography and would not allow reuse of the land. The mound would not fit in with the natural
landscape of the area.
6. In my experience the vegetation that would naturally establish on top of the mound would pose a threat to the
integrity of the cover of the coal ash. Pine trees and sweet gums establish quickly and the roots reach deeper
than the cover and could easily penetrate the plastic liner on top of the mound.
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7. I have no confidence in the ability or willingness of the companies involved in the dump to protect the health
and safety of the community surrounding the dump or along the transportation routes. Charah lists the location
as southeast of Sanford which shows carelessness even before they have begun and Duke Energy has been
found guilty of criminal neglect. The pumping of coal ash water from the pond at the Cape Fear Plant seems
unlikely to be accidental. Duke must be held accountable and not allowed to pass the liability to a shell
company that can go bankrupt and leave property owners without recourse. In light of the negligence of the
handling of the coal ash, I believe all monitoring and safety inspections should be carried out by an
independent contractor and Duke should establish a fund to pay for this. Our health and safety is too important
to trust to a company that has shown such disregard.
8. Duke Energy is transferring or confusing liability for the coal ash by transferring it to Charah which has no
assets beyond dumps. The bond amount suggested is absurdly low, based on other clean up costs. Duke made
the profits and should retain liability for the problems created by the by- product of those profits which is the
coal ash.
9. The neglect at the Dan River cite included not monitoring the leachate system and the plan submitted with the
permit only suggested monitoring every two years which seems inadequate given the catastrophic effect of a
failure.
10. No testing of "stormwater" is mentioned. I believe it should be tested since some water they are calling
stormwater has been in the lined area with coal ash and the equipment and wind will quite possible result in
coal ashe presence in the stormwater.
11. The permit should not be issued until there is a permit for discharge of the leachate. Trucking it to the
wastewater treatment plant or putting it in the sewer, must be approved by the treatment plant receiving it. It is
possible some components in the leachate would damage the treatment process at a sewage tratment plant which
would be catastrophic for the economy of the area and the river that receives the discharged and inadequately
treated water. I believe industries that discharge to the Sanford treatment plant are required to pretreat and test
daily before discharging, yet the coal ash dump plans to test semi - annually. In the case of the Sanford plant it is
only a few miles upstream from the municipal water intake. Nothing should be brought to this site until it is
clear there is a way to deal with the leachate.
12. No mention is made of what will be done with the water used to wash the truck tires. Will it be left to soak
into the ground and then the ground water?
13. Timetables for notifying any one about problems with stormwater controls(2.3.2)are absurd. Waiting seven
days could result in contaminated water reaching the Sanford municipal water treatment plant and all water
intakes downstream.
Thirteen seems like a good number to stop with, even though I have many more concerns. Basically I believe
Duke created this problem and it should remain on their land and remain their responsibility. As a citizen I am
doing all I can to minimize my power usage and am willing to do more but I am not willing to have my health
and quality of life sacrificed for their profits. I have tried to use the duke energy conservation programs that
they advertise in their bills but when I call no one answering the phones knows about the programs and they say
they will have someone call but I have not been called yet. They are antagonistic to alternative energy and
continue to use fossil fuels that create pollutants. That choice is one they should have to take resoponsibility
for, not dump it on Lee County. Maybe they should make the coal ash into building materials for their
corporate offices.
Thank you for the opportunity to raise my concerns. Please protect us from the Goliath that is Duke Energy.
Laura Young
Lee County Resident
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