Dan River Coal Ash Impacts in US

The shells of dead mussels on the bottom of the Dan River in Danville 25 miles (40 kms) downstream from the Dan River Steam Station coal ash waste containment pond that leaked through a broken pipe in February.

Unique identifier: GP0STO9Q7

Type: Image

Shoot date: 14/03/2014

Locations: North America, United States of America, Virginia

Credit line: © Chris Keane / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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Dan River Ash Spill Aftermath in US

The impacts of the Duke Energy Eden Ash Spill continue to be seen in the Dan River. Longtime river users such as fisherman Morris Lawton have seen a die-off of mussels and other impact on wildlife in 70 miles of the river from the Dan River Steam Station coal ash containment site that leaked into the river all the way to the John H. Kerr Reservoir in Virginia. On Feb. 2, 2014, a 48-inch storm water pipe broke and between 50,000 and 82,000 tons of toxic coal ash begin to pollute the river. A few weeks later, a second pipe began spilling arsenic and other heavy metals into the river. The Dan River Steam Station is a 276-MW coal-fired electrical power plant, owned by Duke Energy, built in 1949 and closed in 2012.

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