Duke Energy Renewables Settles With DOJ Regarding Bird Mortalities

(RTTNews) - Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy Corp. (DUK), said Friday that it has reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the deaths of golden eagles and other migratory birds at two of Duke Energy's wind generation sites in Wyoming.

The DOJ brought misdemeanor charges under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for 14 golden eagle mortalities within the past three years at Duke Energy's Top of the World Windpower Project and Campbell Hill Windpower Project near Casper, Wyoming.

Golden eagles are not listed as threatened or endangered under U.S. law. However, they are protected under the MBTA.

Federal fines and restitution of $1 million will be levied against Duke Energy Renewables. The funds will be dispersed to the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Conservation Fund.

Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables, said, " We have always self reported all incidents, and from the time we discovered the first fatality, we've been working closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service to take proactive steps to correct the problem."