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Officials investigating stormwater spill at old Duke Energy coal plant

MOORESBORO, N.C. — The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating after a stormwater spill at one of Duke Energy's old coal plants.

Duke Energy has confirmed the spill from the Rogers Energy Complex – formerly known as the Cliffside Steam Station – in Rutherford County into the Broad River.

Recent heavy rainfall at the complex caused stormwater from the site’s coal pile to overflow and reach the Broad River, according to Duke. The stormwater overflow was identified during a routine inspection of the plant property on Tuesday.

Duke Energy said that the inspection determined that stormwater had come into contact with the coal pile, an area where unburned coal is stored for the operating plant.

The stormwater that reached the river did not contact coal ash, Duke officials said.

The stormwater runoff has since stopped and steps have been taken to prevent it from happening again.

Duke said they have not seen any impact to the Broad River, and estimated that between 15,000 to 50,000 gallons of stormwater reached the river.

The facility started production in 1940 and for units are in the process of being decommissioned. Currently there are two units that are in operation.

This is not the first flooding issue for the Rogers Energy Complex, according to the Catawba Riverkeeper.

Sam Perkins said that on October 7, 2005, Suck Creek, which runs through the site, flooded, causing a major coal ash spill.

Workers have been storing coal ash in a fully lined pit on the property since last October.

Channel 9 reporter Jenna Deery is on site and will have much more on this developing story on Eyewitness News at 5 p.m.

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