Duke Energy power plants to get new permits

North Carolina regulators have opened for public comment draft discharge permits for three Charlotte-area power plants.

Regulators say new permits for Duke Energy’s Allen, Riverbend and Marshall plants will help protect area lakes from coal ash stored at the plants. The permits include monitoring of seeps from ash pond dams, officials said.

The state will hold a public hearing on the wastewater and stormwater discharge permits from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 8 at the James Warner Citizen Center in Lincolnton. The permits are online.

This story was originally published March 6, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Duke Energy power plants to get new permits."