Duking It Out Over Coal Ash Cleanup

May 2, 2014- The aftermath of Duke Energy's coal ash spill at its Dan River electrical generation facility has environmental watchdog groups and environmentally conscious pension plans calling for heads to roll.

In a post titled "Duke Energy calls coal ash spill 'an accident,' says it has responded" on the North Carolina news wncn.com website, Duke Energy is portrayed as vigorously defending the way it has handled the spill, first noticed on February 2, 2014.

Although Duke Energy says it has incurred $15 million in costs for the quarter ending March 31, shareholders representing pension plans have written to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking for the removal of four directors of the company.

In a statement to the SEC, the Regulatory Policy and Operations Committee of the Duke Energy board of directors responded to the SEC saying, "The Committee has the requisite skills and experience to provide effective oversight over the Company’s response and ash management plan."

Detractors are not convinced, however. WNCN writes that Jim Warren, executive director of NC Warn, wrote State Treasurer Janet Cowell to urge the state to “force Duke Energy to change its corporate structure in order to become environmental stewards.”

In their SEC filing, both CalPERS and the New York state pension fund say Duke Energy had been warned of potential environmental risks by environmental groups who filed suit three times over the company's coal ash ponds.

"Inspection reports dating back to 2006 show Duke Energy had long known of potential issues with a pipe under the coal ash pond located near the Dan River," WNCN writes. "At the time, inspectors recommended using a camera to check inside the pipe for any leaks."

The eco-driven website SumofUs.org has created a page outlining their point of view on the story, with particular emphasis on Duke Energy's "ultra-cozy" relationship with North Carolina's governor, Pat McCrory. McCrory worked for the company for 28 years prior to being elected. SumofUs.org accuses McCrory of "systematically dismantling the state's once-formidable environmental watchdog's powers—to the benefit of Duke Energy."

The SumofUs.org page includes a petition for the public and shareholders to send messages to Duke Energy, which includes check boxes for "investor status." If the company won't do the right thing for the citizens of North Carolina, perhaps they'll listen to their shareholders.


Read the full WNCN.com post here. Read the SumofUs.org web page, which includes a
"Send your message to Duke Energy" form, here.

Carnow Conibear and Associates is a demonstrated leader in the occupational and environmental health professions since 1975. To find out more, click here or call us at (800) 860-4486.