Duke Energy Hit With Record $25 Million Coal Ash Fine
RALEIGH, North Carolina, March 12, 2015 (ENS) – North Carolina’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources has handed Duke Energy Progress a record penalty for environmental damages. The utility was fined $25.1 million for groundwater contamination from coal ash at the Sutton Plant on the Cape Fear River near Wilmington.
Under the North Carolina constitution, proceeds from Tuesday’s fine will go to a statewide fund for public schools.
Coal ash is the waste formed from burning coal in power plants to make electricity. The ash is stored in giant ponds near power plants, often adjacent to waterways. It contains toxic substances such as mercury, arsenic, lead and chromium.
