▁dry . ▁The ▁bas ins ▁hold ▁coal ▁ash ▁in ▁a ▁layer ▁ ▁thick ▁over ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁. ▁A ▁Duke ▁Energy ▁site ▁assess ment ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁bas ins ▁had ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁to xic ▁heavy ▁met als ▁such ▁as ▁ar sen ic , ▁ant im ony ▁and ▁th al li um . ▁ ▁The ▁flo oded ▁river ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁flow ed ▁over ▁the ▁three ▁in active ▁ash ▁bas ins . ▁The ▁company ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁risk ▁of ▁significant ▁release ▁of ▁material ▁from ▁these ▁bas ins , ▁and ▁the ▁active ▁ash ▁p ond ▁was ▁not ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁flo oding . ▁However , ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Water keeper ▁Alliance ▁and ▁Sound ▁R ivers ▁reported ▁a ▁large ▁coal ▁ash ▁sp ill ▁from ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁in active ▁bas ins . ▁ ▁The ▁bas ins ▁had ▁been ▁under water ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁week . ▁One ▁observer ▁said ▁" This ▁sp ill ▁is ▁easily ▁visible ▁to ▁anyone ▁in ▁a ▁boat . ▁The ▁area ▁looks ▁like ▁a ▁winter ▁wonder land ▁of ▁to xic ▁coal ▁ash ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁co ated ▁the ▁water ▁and ▁trees ." ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Southern ▁Alliance ▁for ▁C lean ▁Energy , ▁the ▁sp ill ▁was ▁" y et ▁another ▁trag ic ▁example ▁of ▁why ▁coal ▁ash ▁must ▁be ▁exc av ated ▁from ▁p its ▁near ▁water ways ▁and ▁stored ▁in ▁l ined , ▁dry ▁imp ound ments ▁away ▁from ▁rivers ▁and ▁well ▁above ▁the ▁water