To the editor:
In Dukeville, N.C., right next to the Duke Energy Buck Steam Station, well water sampling of 13 wells in May showed contaminant levels well above the acceptable levels for heavy metals.
The majority of wells sampled were over 50 times the maximum level set by California for hexavalent chromium (think Erin Brockovich). This is an overlooked issue in the overall reporting of coal ash.
People have to obtain outside water for their everyday needs. Many don’t shower, wash their hands, cook, or wash dishes with their well water. Many have suffered chronic health effects over the years, including cancer. A study reported in the New Yorker years ago tried to explain the cancer cluster in the Dukeville area but the scientists concentrated on the power lines and did not test the water.
People across the country need to know this is happening in our own backyard, something NC State Sen. Gene McLaurin has been championing. It’s easy to think about water contamination in a different country, but what about right here at home? How is it possible that American citizens are not provided the basic human right to safe, clean, drinking water?
It’s time to provide uncontaminated water to all who live near a coal ash pond.
Elizabeth Burton
Winston-Salem
