HUNTERSVILLE, NC — Dozens of community members in Huntersville are meeting with Duke Energy officials and health experts about why at least 20 people in the community have been diagnosed with a rare eye cancer.

• At least patients within a 15 to 20 mile radius of Huntersville have been diagnosed with ocular melanoma
• Residents more information about if there’s an association between cancer and coal ash
• Mayor John Aneralla says he’d like to see soil testing be done in the coming months

Residents around Lake Norman say they want to know more about the coal ash byproduct released around Duke Energy’s Marshall Steam Station, and whether coal ash has ever been used as structural soil fill in other parts of the community.

A town panel says they want more information about if there’s an association between cancer and coal ash.

Mayor John Aneralla says he’d like to see soil testing be done in the coming months, with the $10,000 left in grant money from the town secured from the state to try to determine a root cause.

One retired ophthalmologist working with the town says more than 20 patients within a 15 to 20 mile radius of Huntersville have been diagnosed with ocular melanoma.

“They’re going to do a geospatial analysis to try to come up with where did these patients spend a lot of their time? How long and just the geographic coordinates if possible,” Dr. Michael Brennan said.

The mayor says he wants to meet again in May to decide next steps.