Power Company Slapped With $102 Million Pollution Fine

(RTTNews) - Electric utility Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) has agreed to pay $102 million in fines after pleading guilty in a Federal Court to environmental violations for polluting rivers with coal ash.

Duke Energy has pleaded guilty to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act for polluting four major rivers with toxic coal ash from five power plants in Eden, Moncure, Asheville, Goldsboro and Mt. Holly.

For the past several years, environmental groups have raised their voices against Duke for polluting waterways and groundwater. Coal ash is the waste left behind when coal is burnt and which contains toxic materials like arsenic, selenium, chromium and mercury.

The investigation on Duke started last year in February after a broken pipe dumped up to 39,000 tons of ash into the Dan river spreading 70 miles of the river with coal ash.

Duke will pay about $68 million in fines and restitution and $34 million for community service and mitigation projects. The company has announced the costs will be paid by its shareholders and will not be passed on to customers.