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Omaha Steve

(99,632 posts) Tue Apr 21, 2015, 01:56 PM Apr 2015

Rowan Co. residents near Duke ash dumps told not to drink well water

Source: WSOCTV

ROWAN CO. (AP) — State officials are advising an undisclosed number of families near Duke Energy coal ash dumps not to drink or cook with water from their wells after tests showed contamination with toxic heavy metals.

A law passed after last year's spill into the Dan River required the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to sample wells within 1,000 feet of Duke's 32 coal ash dumps.

Rowan County Environmental Health Manager Tad Helmstetler confirmed 20 families living near Buck Steam Station in Salisbury are getting letters advising them not to consume their water. Several of the letters cite high levels of vanadium, a naturally occurring element found in coal classified as hazardous by federal health officials.

State environmental officials have refused to comment on how many are affected statewide.

Coal ash spill

Read more: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/residents-near-duke-ash-dumps-told-not-drink-well-/nky9Y/

Chances are Rachel will cover this tonight.

5 replies

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Highlight:

Rowan Co. residents near Duke ash dumps told not to drink well water (Original Post) Omaha Steve Apr 2015 OP

"environmental officials have refused to comment on how many are affected statewide" wordpix Apr 2015 #1

I'm glad i don't live there anymore. Salisbury is NE of Charlotte NC. n/t deafskeptic Apr 2015 #2

This song was written FIFTY years ago DFW Apr 2015 #3

FRACKING = POISON blkmusclmachine Apr 2015 #4

Indeed They_Live Apr 2015 #5

wordpix

(18,652 posts)

1. "environmental officials have refused to comment on how many are affected statewide"

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2015, 02:05 PM

Apr 2015

yah, that might make the governor look bad along with the cozy gov-Duke relationship.

deafskeptic

(463 posts)

2. I'm glad i don't live there anymore. Salisbury is NE of Charlotte NC. n/t

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2015, 03:02 PM

Apr 2015

DFW

(54,379 posts)

3. This song was written FIFTY years ago

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2015, 06:02 PM

Apr 2015

It's no less true now than it was then--unfortunately, it was prophetic more than anything else:

If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!

Pollution, pollution!
They got smog and sewage and mud.
Turn on your tap
And get hot and cold running crud!

See the halibuts and the sturgeons
Being wiped out by detergeons.
Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly,
But they don't last long if they try.

Pollution, pollution!
You can use the latest toothpaste,
And then rinse your mouth
With industrial waste.

Just go out for a breath of air
And you'll be ready for Medicare.
The city streets are really quite a thrill -
If the hoods don't get you, the monoxide will.

Pollution, pollution!
Wear a gas mask and a veil.
Then you can breathe,
Long as you don't inhale!

Lots of things there that you can drink,
But stay away from the kitchen sink!
The breakfast garbage that you throw into the Bay
They drink at lunch in San Jose.*

So go to the city,
See the crazy people there.
Like lambs to the slaughter,
They're drinking the water
And breathing [cough] the air!

--"POLLUTION" by Tom Lehrer from "That Was The Year That Was" 1965