The biggest concern was hexavalent chromium, which might cause cancer when found in drinking water.
Duke says the hexavalent chromium in the wells didn’t come from its stocks of coal ash stored at the plants.
But state legislators last year ordered Duke to offer alternate water to its neighbors.
But Duke plans to offer systems to filter contaminants out of well water to about 20 percent of the residents.
But, confusingly to Duke’s neighbors, the state has a separate “health goal” for hexavalent chromium.
The health goal is .07 ppb, 140 times more restrictive than the filter standard.
“While we appreciate other efforts the DEQ has taken to address the coal ash problems, we believe the newly-announced standards are far too lenient to Duke,” law firm founder Mona Lisa Wallace said in a statement Wednesday.
“They would allow Duke to install water filtration systems that could contaminate at levels far above what hook-ups to municipal water would provide.
We believe all Duke coal ash neighbors and their families are entitled to municipal water hook-ups and clean water.” WBTV this week reported on an internal memo in which two state health scientists also said the new filter standard wouldn’t adequately protect well owners.
The department said it would ask a state science panel whether the filter standard should be revised.