North Carolina's carcinogen-contaminated drinking water near Duke Energy's coal ash dumps — and the political fight over what to do about it — should serve as a warning for problems to come in other historically coal-dependent states due to a lack of federal oversight for drinking water and coal ash disposal.
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The people living near the coal ash disposal pit at Duke Energy's Buck plant in North Carolina are among those whose drinking water wells are contaminated with toxic chromium — and preliminary evidence suggests the problem goes far beyond North Carolina. (Photo of Buck coal ash pond by the Yadkin Riverkeeper.)
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<p>The people living near the coal ash disposal pit at Duke Energy's Buck plant in North Carolina are among those whose drinking water wells are contaminated with toxic chromium — and preliminary evidence suggests the problem goes far beyond North Carolina. (Photo of Buck coal ash pond <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/waterkeeperalliance/14137307615/in/photolist-npBP8E-nGwK6d-nxgp22">by the Yadkin Riverkeeper</a>.)</p>