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Cape Fear River flooding damages Sutton Lake, causes safe shutdown of natural gas plant

Published on September 21, 2018 | News Release

Cape Fear River flooding conditions at the company's L.V. Sutton plant in Wilmington, N.C. have caused breaches in the cooling lake dam surrounding the cooling lake and caused the company to shut down the 625-megawatt natural gas plant there.

Cape Fear River continues to overtop the north end of the Sutton cooling lake dike. Photo uploaded on Sept. 21, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Sutton cooling lake exiting breach at south end back to river. Photo uploaded on Sept. 21, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Cenospheres leave Sutton cooling lake and enter Cape Fear River. Photo uploaded on Sept. 21, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Sutton 1971 coal ash basin inundated by cooling lake; ash continues to be retained behind steel wall. Photo uploaded on Sept. 21, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Overnight flooding reached the Sutton combined cycle plant, which was safely shut down. Photo uploaded on Sept. 21, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

File photo of cenospheres at the HF Lee plant following Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Cenospheres are light weight, hollow beads comprised of alumina and silica that are a by-product of coal combustion.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

File photo of cenospheres, comprised primarily of alumina and silica.

Sutton landfill slope failure caused by Hurricane Florence. Photo uploaded Sept. 19, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Sutton site overview after Hurricane Florence. Photo uploaded Sept. 19, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo

Sutton landfill erosion of sandy base, where no coal ash is placed, following Hurricane Florence. Photo uploaded Sept. 19, 2018.

Published on September 21, 2018 | Photo