Coal Ash Advocacy Tools

to Support Your Coal Ash Advocacy Efforts 

ACT Against Coal Ash Group’s Guiding Principals

North Carolina communities currently impacted by coal ash, and those threatened by it in the future, have joined together with a shared vision and common goals to form the Alliance of Carolinians Together (ACT) Against Coal Ash. We call on Duke Energy and N.C. decision makers, including the Department of Environmental Quality, the Governor, the General Assembly, and local governments, to make sure no community is left to suffer from coal ash in the future.

We believe that all people, regardless of race and socio-economic class, have a right to healthy communities, clean water, clean air, and safe food and soil.

We believe that living in close proximity to coal ash infringes on these basic rights.

We demand a transparent process to coal ash cleanup in which Duke Energy and N.C. decision makers are open and honest about the health effects of chemicals found in coal ash, and any plans for disposal or recycling coal ash.

We demand that Duke Energy and N.C. decision makers hold advertised public hearings whenever any decisions regarding coal ash cleanup are made, with time for community members and experts invited by the community to provide input.

We demand that Duke Energy take responsibility for their acts past, present, and future that have contributed to the tragic coal ash situation, including the contamination of neighbors’ drinking water wells and other groundwater, the contamination of surface waters, and the contamination of neighbors’ air.

We demand that Duke Energy shareholders, not rate-payers, assume financial responsibility for past, present, and future harm caused by coal ash, including health care costs of those within close proximity of coal ash, additional water testing, compensation for loss of property value, disposal and recycling costs, and remediation of the existing toxicity of sites.

We demand that Duke Energy shareholders pay for and provide sufficient amounts of safe water now and indefinitely for all nearby wells contaminated with chemicals associated with coal ash.

We call on Duke Energy and N.C. decision makers to urgently respond to the need to test any water supply well that may have been contaminated by coal ash, not just those within a half mile of the ash ponds. The tests must be paid for by Duke and performed by an independent lab using the most sensitive and comprehensive testing methods.

We call on N.C. decision makers to require Duke Energy to pay for independent oversight of the coal ash cleanup process, independent analysis of current coal ash contamination, research by public and private entities to find the best solutions to this problem, and random and unannounced inspections of the coal ash sites by state regulators.

We demand that N.C. decision makers and Duke Energy prioritize worker safety during all phases of coal ash cleanup and site remediation.

We call on N.C. decision makers and Duke Energy to strive for a permanent solution to coal ash that prioritizes community safety. We demand that any coal ash that cannot be safely recycled or processed be stored on Duke Energy property with the company maintaining liability. We will not accept dumping of the ash in other communities or capping-in-place as solutions. We demand that the ash be urgently isolated from ground and surface water at all locations.

We call on Duke Energy and N.C. decision makers to invest in a sustainable, healthy, affordable, and responsible energy future for N.C. that supports the growth of solar, wind energy, and energy efficiency programs, and moves away from coal, natural gas, and other harmful and expensive methods of generating power that poison communities and affect North Carolinians’ quality of life.

If you agree with our unifying principles, show your support for ACT by signing on below.