Duke Energy Fined $102 Million For Coal Ash

[bobabode]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...=outfit&page=1

"Duke Energy, the nation’s largest electrical utility, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act for polluting four major rivers for several years with toxic coal ash from five power plants in North Carolina.
The $50.5-billion company was fined $102 million and placed on five years of probation for environmental crimes. All company compliance related to coal ash in five states will be overseen by a court-appointed monitor and reported to federal parole officers.
U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard approved the plea agreement Thursday morning following a 90-minute court session in which a Duke Energy lawyer repeated the words “guilty, your honor” more than 20 times." LATimes

[CarlV]

Could it be they are as corrupt as the goons here? I don't remember any of these energy companies around here that ever received a fine that was more than complying. Get busted, get a joke of a fine, stay low for a minute, then back to business as usual. Cry broke while laughing all the way to the bank?


Carl

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by CarlV

Could it be they are as corrupt as the goons here? I don't remember any of these energy companies around here that ever received a fine that was more than complying. Get busted, get a joke of a fine, stay low for a minute, then back to business as usual. Cry broke while laughing all the way to the bank?


Carl

Not that our utilities are paragons of virtue but Duke is probably the worst.

And, for Duke, $102 million is a joke of a fine.

[CarlV]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Not that our utilities are paragons of virtue but Duke is probably the worst.

And, for Duke, $102 million is a joke of a fine.

Truth and fact.


Carl

[merrylander]

More proof that power generation should not be in private hands.

[bobabode]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...ry.html#page=1

"Duke Energy may have been hauled into federal court and smacked with a $102-million penalty for polluting North Carolina rivers with potentially toxic coal ash, but that didn’t do much for the tainted well water at Barbara Morales’ house.
Morales, 67, lives on fixed income in Belmont, just west of Charlotte. From her home, she can see Duke Energy’s Allen electric station on the Catawba River. Her well is a few hundred feet from two coal ash basins there.
Morales is one of at least 123 North Carolina residents who have received letters from state health and environmental officials warning them that their well water is contaminated and unsafe for drinking or cooking.
Morales said she hasn’t used her water since testing by an environmental group a year ago found elevated levels of dangerous compounds. Last week, Duke began delivering bottled water to her home – a gallon a day for each of the three people living there.
But neither the bottled water nor Duke’s guilty plea Thursday to polluting four rivers, including the Catawba, gives Morales much hope that her well will be restored." LATimes

[MrPots]

Originally Posted by bobabode

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...=outfit&page=1

"Duke Energy, the nation’s largest electrical utility, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act for polluting four major rivers for several years with toxic coal ash from five power plants in North Carolina.
The $50.5-billion company was fined $102 million and placed on five years of probation for environmental crimes. All company compliance related to coal ash in five states will be overseen by a court-appointed monitor and reported to federal parole officers.
U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard approved the plea agreement Thursday morning following a 90-minute court session in which a Duke Energy lawyer repeated the words “guilty, your honor” more than 20 times." LATimes

Petty cash. Meanwhile folks is being poisoned and will likely never see a settlement.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by MrPots

Petty cash. Meanwhile folks is being poisoned and will likely never see a settlement.

And a gallon a day is stupid, are they supposed to wash their dishes in poisoned water?

[CarlV]

So the water is not safe and they can't even grow their vegetables or let their children play in the contaminated soil. Almost another Love Canal.


Carl