EPA to assess Chapel Hill coal ash site

The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it will conduct a preliminary assessment of the coal ash site at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Chapel Hill. There has been controversy over how to clean up the site since the town discovered the presence of coal ash in 2013.

Chapel Hill town manager Chris Blue says officials are gathering as much scientific information as they can before making a final decision about the future of the site. “We welcome this EPA assessment, as it will help us make well-informed decisions," Blue said.

The site is currently home to the Chapel Hill Police Department and town officials are planning to move the Police Department to The Parkline at 1830 Fordham Boulevard. Chapel Hill removed 1,000 tons of the coal ash from the site in 2020 to accommodate the use of the Bolin Creek Trail, but large amounts of exposed ash remain across the 10-acre site. Bloin Creek drains into Jordan Lake, a drinking water source for more than 1 million people. The exact amount of toxic material on the site is unknown.

The EPA response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity said that the petition met federal requirements for an assessment to “determine whether a site poses a threat to human health or the environment and whether the threat requires further investigation” that is expected to be completed within the next 12 months. The assessment will include a site visit and a review of existing documents related to the property and presence of coal ash residuals (CCRs).

In late 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft risk assessment about the effects of CCRs, indicating higher cancer risks associated with coal ash than previously thought. Town staff and officials at the Department of Environmental Quality are currently reviewing the document.

"The regulatory issues at hand are complex, but our priorities are straightforward – the health and safety of our community and our Town staff," said John Richardson, Chapel Hill's Community Sustainability Manager.