Duke Energy pleaded guilty to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act and agreed to $102 million in fines and penalties related to a February 2014 coal-ash spill in North Carolina, according to a settlement announced by the U.S. Dept. of Justice on May 14. As part of the agreement, the Charlotte, N.C.-based utility will pay fines totaling more than $68 million, and will fund $34 million in environmental projects and land conservation efforts in North Carolina and Virginia. Covered by the settlement are Duke Energy Business Services, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress Inc.
The $102-million settlement, first proposed in February, finalized the criminal charges against Duke. While four of the nine criminal charges were directly related to the coal-ash spill from Duke’s Dan River plant, the DOJ stated that the government discovered the remaining violations as its investigation broadened to include other company facilities.