On April 1st, DEQ announced that communities across North Carolina will have toxic coal ash removed from unlined, leaking pits and placed in lined landfills. Since the Dan River spill 5 years ago, impacted coal ash community members and advocates have been coming together to demand cleanup of the coal ash that Duke Energy dumped in their communities.

There have been countless letters written, phone calls made, and comments sent asking the NC Department of Environmental Quality to make Duke clean up their mess. Most recently in January, over a thousand people took time out of their own busy schedules to show up one more time at public meetings to raise their voices and urge DEQ to fulfill their mission to protect communities and the environment. And this time, THEY LISTENED!

We at Clean Water for North Carolina wish to express our sincere gratitude to all who have come together to make this historic moment of celebration possible. We thank the state officials who acknowledged the dangers of leaving coal ash sitting in groundwater where it would continue to pollute. We thank the many advocates, neighbors, and concerned citizens across the state who helped to spread the word and provide support to the communities who wished to organize for justice.

But most of all, we honor the resilience of folks who have been most directly impacted by the tragedy of pollution in their own neighborhoods. This victory is yours, and we celebrate with you! We will continue to stand by your side and echo your demands for justice!

Forward in solidarity!

Clean Water for NC is a member of the Alliance of Carolinians Together (ACT) Against Coal Ash, which has worked to help protect coal ash neighbor communities across the state.