What's in the water after flooding?
SOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS
SAY THEY HAVE PROOF OF A COAL
ASH LEAK INTO THE NEUSE RIVER
IN THE FLOODING AFTER MURTHA.
DUKE NEWSCHANNEL SAYS NOT ONLY
IS IT NOT COAL ASH BUT IT IS
NOT TOXIC.
>> KATHRYN BROWN IS LIVE
DOWNTOWN AT DUKE HEADQUARTER
WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT IS
IN THE WATER.
IS IT OR ISN'T IT, KATHRYN?
>> Reporter: WELL, DAVID, THAT
IS THE BIG QUESTION.
IT IS SOMEWHAT ALARMING TO SEE
THAT WHITE SUBSTANCE FLOATING
IN THE WATER.
BOTH SIDES AGREE ON THAT.
AND WE SAW IT FOR OURSELVES
TODAY DURING A BOAT RIDE.
WHILE DUKE ENERGY SAYS IT IS
NOT COAL ASH, THEY EMPHATICALLY
SAY THAT, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
SAY IT IS.
ON THE BANKS OF THE SWOLLEN
NEUSE RIVER, ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTIVISTS SKIM FOR WHAT THEY
SAY IS TOXIC EVIDENCE OF A COAL
ASH SPILL.
THIS PART OF THE RIVER IS
ADJACENT TO THREE ENACTIVE COAL
ASH PITS AT THE H. F. LEE STEAM
PLANT IN GOLDSBORO.
THEY ARE FLOODED AFTER
HURRICANE MATTHEW.
STEVE HARRISON WITH WATER KEEP
ANTERIOR LINES BELIEVES THE
PITS WERE COMPROMISED AND THIS
WHITE STUB ASSISTANCE IN THE
TREES AND FLOATING ON THE WATER
A TYPE OF COAL ASH CALLED FLY
ASH.
>> YOU SEE RIGHT HERE ALONG THE
WATER'S END WHERE THE TREE IS,
AND YOU SEE THAT GRAY-WHITE
LINE, THAT IS MORE COAL ASH.
>> WE ARE JUST BAY MILE AND A
HALF UPSTREAM OF WHERE THE
SPILL SITE IS.
YOU CAN SEE THE TREES HERE THAT
WERE COVERED UNDER WATER JUST
THE SAME AS THE ONES DOWN
THERE.
BUT THEY ONLY HAVE A SMALL A
REAL FINE SEDIMENT.
>> I THINK AWHAT THIS SHOWS US
IS IT IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS
TO STORE COAL ASH IN UNLINED
PITS IN THE FLOOD ZONES OF
MAJOR RIVERS.
>> Reporter: DUKE SPOKESMAN
JEFF BROOKS SAYS THE WHITE
SUBSTANCE ISN'T FLY ASH BUT WAS
CALL CENOSPHERES.
>> THEY FREELY EXIST ON TOP OF
OUR ASH BUSINESS INMENT THEY
ARE HARVESTED ON A REGULAR
BASIS AND SO THEY ARE NOT
INHERENTLY TOXIN BY NATURE.
EVEN IF IT WERE FLY ASH, IT IS
NOT INHERENTLY HAZARDOUS BY
ITSELF.
BUT THIS IS NOT FLY ASH THAT
WE'RE SEEING.
.
>> Reporter: DUKE ENERGY
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SOME COAL ASH
WAS DISPLACED DURING THE
FLOODS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SAID THAT
WAS ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT COULD
FIT INTO A PICKUP TRUCK.
THEY SAID IT WAS NOT TOXIC.
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, NO
SURPRISE, DISAGREE WITH THIS
STRONGLY.
BOTH SIDE DOING THEIR OWN