Henderson, NC — North Carolina State Representative Nathan Baskerville released a statement today detailing his growing concerns regarding the February 2, 2014 Dan River Coal Ash spill.
“It has come to my attention recently that Vance County residents have seen what they believe to be coal ash in the water at Kerr Lake. My office takes these types of calls from citizens very seriously, because we recognize the vital importance of our Kerr Lake water supply. “
Representative Baskerville has been in contact with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources since the spill on February 2, and recently about the potentially new contaminated areas, and was informed by Mr. Smith, a representative of the Water Quality Division, that several tests had been done and that the Department was continuing collecting and processing samples from Kerr Lake.
“I call upon all stakeholders, the General Assembly, Duke Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to work together to ensure that our water supply is safe and clean. We must do this in an efficient yet comprehensive way, making sure that Duke Energy customers do not bear the costs of the cleanup.”
spill happened Feb 2, this memo was sent Apr 15.
good thing he’s on top of stuff around here.
For those interested, our fair city will be the host city for a regional (NC & VA) meeting to discuss the impact of Duke’s coal ash spill on the Roanoke water basin. According to the local paper the meeting is being held at the library on April 24, with a start time of 6pm. That is also the same day, time and about the same location as the Chamber of Commerce’s first of three Meet In the Street parties.