Eden North Carolina Coal Ash Spill Initial Emergency Response North Carolina Emergecy Management Conference Sunset Beach, NC, 2014

Response

Feb 3, 2014: North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) notified EPA NC OSC and requested EPA technical assistance. Two (2) OSCs deployed from Atlanta. Due to proximity and cross-regional response, one (1) OSC was deployed from Region 3.

Response History At height of EPA response efforts: –6 EPA OSC deployed, working 24 hour operations. Incident Command, operations, planning, data management –2 EPA Community Involvement Coordinators –R4 SESD crews sampling water and sediment sampling –EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT) for technical support –EPA Superfund Technical Assistance Response Team (START) for sampling, data management and GIS support –Regional Emergency Operations Center for Media and Regulatory Program support. –R4 Office of External Affairs coordination with field,R3, and EPA HQ for messaging and website production and management.

Response

Primary Concerns Stopping the Ash Release from the Ash Basin Human Health Impact (Drinking Water Sampling) Ecological Impact (River Sampling & Ash Deposition Assessments) Community Concerns

Stopping the Release An inflatable plug would not hold. Installed a “coffer dam” in the storm drain outlet and used portable pumps and a vacuum truck to redirect the ash and ash-water back into the primary ash basin. Installed on the primary line on February 6, 2014.

Stopping the Release

Feb 15, 2014: Began investigating the 2nd 36” storm drain line. Feb 18, 2014: Sampled results indicated that the 36” storm line was release water (possible ground water infiltration) that contained elevated levels of arsenic. Feb 19, 2014: Installed temporary containment on the 36” storm drain line and stopped the release to the Dan River. A permanent plug will be installed.

Stopping the Release

Feb 8, 2014: A permanent plug was installed at the end of the failed pipe.

Stopping the Release The lengths of both the 48” and the 36” lines were sealed with concrete

Human and Ecological Impact EPA sampling, oversight and coordination efforts: –Mobilized Data Management Experts, Surface Water and Sediment Sampling experts and drinking water sampling experts. –Outreach and coordination with downstream Water Treatment Plant operators and community leaders –Planning and oversight of water sampling efforts by EPA START contractors in River and at downstream water treatment plants –Data management and GIS –Mobilized team to ramp up sampling efforts on the Dan River –Collection of raw (untreated) river water samples along the Dan River

Human and Ecological Impact EPA sampling, oversight and coordination efforts: –Pre and post treatment water samples at downstream water treatment plants. –Sediment sampling and investigation of coal ash deposition in the Dan River –Coal ash sampling –Analytical Laboratory Services –Quality Assurance / Quality Control review of analytical data –Natural Resource Trustee information

Samples Collected ~47 Drinking Water (through 4/18/2014) Danville WTP South Boston WTP Clarksville WTP ~300 Surface Water (through 7/10/2014) upstream/downstream locations facility outfalls river intakes water column depths sediment-water interface ~136 River Sediment (through 7/2/2014) upstream/downstream locations facility outfalls Kerr Lake 6 Ash Samples primary basin

Organizations Conducting Sampling

Monitoring and Analysis

Ecological Chemical of Potential Concern Ecological Screening Standard Exceedances:

River Assessment – Ash Deposition

River Assessment – Sediment Results

Community Concerns Produced fact sheets and materials for community meetings and outreach including materials for Web Site. Conducted numerous media interviews and community meetings. Web Site established to inform public/stakeholders on status of EPA activities and analytical data. Community meetings: –City of Danville, VA on February 11th –City of Eden, NC on February 19th –Town of South Boston, VA on February 20th –City of Danville, VA on April 14th

Time Critical Actions Continue Ash Removal from Heavily Deposited Areas Continue Episodic Drinking Water Sampling Episodic surface water and sediment sampling Continue Assessing Short-Term and Long-Term Ecological Impacts to the Dan River

Time Critical Actions ● Removed Ash from Water Treatment Plants (Danville and South Boston. Remove Ash From Sandbar at Town Creek ● Locate Ash Deposits and Determine Removal Strategy

Questions? Validated EPA Sample Data is posted at: