The two coal ash ponds at the L.V. Sutton power plant near Wilmington are leaking heavy metals into the groundwater and a nearby lake. We’ll take the next two days to describe what’s in the old ponds and what Duke Energy plans to do about it.
Special Reports
CRC Limits Sea-Level Rise Study to 30 Years
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission yesterday directed its scientific advisors to limit their new study of sea-level rise to how high the ocean might get 30 years in the future, not 100 years.
Sutton Ponds High on Clean-Up List
With the N.C. General Assembly session just a few weeks away, the prospect of a coal ash bill appears likely. The Sutton power plant near Wilmington is considered a priority for clean-up plans.
Feds Widen Probe of Coal Ash Ponds
The U.S. attorney in Raleigh issued more subpoenas that widened the probe of the state’s oversight of all toxic coal ash ponds, including three near Wilmington.
Controversial Movie Shows at UNCW
“Shored Up,” a documentary about our response to rising seas, was too hot for the state’s science museum, but it will show next week at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Remembering Emily and Isabel
As we head into the height of the hurricane season, we pause to remember two catastrophic hurricanes a decade apart that have significant anniversaries this year.
Rising Seas Come With Rising CO2
The world’s oceans and seas will rise as carbon dioxide levels in the upper atmosphere keep increasing. How do scientists know? Because it has all happened before.
Sea-Level Rise? Get Used to It
That’s professor Michael Orbach’s tough-love message. There’s little we can do at this point to significantly slow the rate of sea-level rise, he says. He warns that we best learn to adapt to our watery future.
Global Warming’s ‘Evil Twin’
Rising acid levels in the oceans is one of the more alarming consequences of global warming. Corals, oysters, clams, starfish and sand dollars are just a few of the sea creatures that can be affected. “The oceans will become hot, sour and breathless,” says one scientist.
Cleaning Up the Mess Left by Sandy
Dare County officials say property owners are responsible for removing the remains of houses scattered up and down the beach near Rodanthe on the Outer Banks.
Pellet Plans Draw Mixed Reviews in Morehead
Plans to build a wood pellet facility at the state port in Morehead City raise questions about how such a facility may change the face of a town that relies so heavily on tourism. Some are skeptical, others cautiously optimistic.
Some Want More Study of Wood Pellet Plans
The N.C. Coastal Federation has asked for an environmental study of state plans for a wood pellet shipping facility at the port in Morehead City. Others think more safeguards are needed to protect the state’s forests.
Can Our Forests Safely Power Europe?
The rapid growth of the wood pellet industry in North Carolina has raised questions about how the surge to meet the demand of European power companies will affect the state’s 18 million acres of woodlands.
Are Wood Pellets Really Green?
Wood pellets made from N.C. coastal forests will soon be powering utility plants in Europe because of policies there that encourage replacing coal with wood. In this the first of four parts on wood pellets and the N.C. coast, we ask if wood is really better than coal.
Call a Cab — of Sorts — to Get By Busted Roadway
After Hurricane Sandy, there’s been no way to get to Buxton, Avon and the rest of southern Hatteras Island except by four-wheel drive or taking a long ferry ride. But now you can call a ‘taxi.’
State Still Struggles to Keep N.C. 12 Passable
More than a month after Hurricane Sandy passed the N.C. coast, state highway officials are still trying to keep traffic moving along Hatteras Island’s main roadway.
