NC Pulls Deal With Duke On Coal Ash Pollution

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

NC PULLS DEAL WITH DUKE ON COAL ASH POLLUTION

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and MITCH WEISS
— Mar. 21, 2014 4:41 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina regulators say they have asked a judge to withdraw a proposed settlement that would have allowed Duke Energy to resolve environmental violations by paying a $99,000 fine with no requirement that the $50 billion company clean up its pollution.

The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources said in a statement Friday that it would scuttle the proposed consent order to settle violations for groundwater contamination leeching from coal ash dumps near Charlotte and Asheville.

The decision comes after a Feb. 2 spill at a Duke coal ash dump in Eden coated 70 miles of the Dan River in toxic sludge.

The settlement was initially tabled last month, the day after an Associated Press story highlighting what environmentalists criticized as a "sweetheart deal" to Duke.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/nc-pulls-deal-duke-coal-ash-pollution

[Kelvin Mace]

1. No.

Someone needs to go to prison for making that deal.

I'm looking at you Mr. "I-Worked-For-Duke-Power-For-28-Years" McCrory.

[rocktivity]

2. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

And congrats to Rachel Maddow for hanging on to this story!
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/duke-energy-busted-after-activists-red-flag-201638467786


rocktivity

[questionseverything]

4. and to the river keepers

[KansDem]

3. I don't understand this...

This was an attack on the environment. A vicious attack that poisoned the water resources for this part of the country. Why don't the Feds just go in, assess the damage, and assign blame?

• Send in the National Guard
• Arrest the CEOs
• Have the EPA test the water for poisoning
• Assess environmental damage
• Have the Justice Department charge the CEOs accordingly and put them on trial
• If guilty, put them in prison and seize the company's assets to help pay for clean-up

Just pussyfooting around with the culprits won't do a thing to change their criminal behavior.

[QED]

7. Only in Iceland would that happen.

[okaawhatever]

8. The Feds may not have jurisdiction. That is the big issue. I wonder what the grounds are for the

EPA to get involved?

[marions ghost]

11. You would be assuming

there is something called oversight with consequences in America.

But I agree with you. There is no incentive to do better because they easily get away with it. These Corporates have no sense of ethics or responsibility. They have to be forced to comply.

[Trust Buster]

5. I also credit Rachel Maddow with an assist here

If it wasn't for the recent bad publicity, North Carolina would have never rescinded the deal. Too bad they must be shamed into protecting our environment. And to think the wing nuts want less regulation.

[marions ghost]

12. Welcome to DU

Trust Buster.

Yes Rachel deserves a lot of credit for hammering this. Shaming is the only weapon we've got, it seems.

[Trust Buster]

13. Thank you mg

[Steviehh]

6. McCrony strikes again

Fox guarding the henhouse.

[Earth_First]

9. Duke Energy was cited again today; 8th time in less than a month...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024705417

So I'm not really surprised on the ruling.

[Supersedeas]

15. Meanwhile, this is the reality on our own backyards

[barbtries]

10. oops

they got caught. for once the light got turned on and stayed on. maybe some actual good will come of it.

[marions ghost]

14. Who'll pay?

"The ratepayers" sez Duke E.