Criminal Cases Reviewed In Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill

A judge will review criminal cases this week involving Duke Energy. Some of the charges are linked to the company's Rockingham County coal ash spill.

Last month, The U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Duke Energy for violating the federal Clean Water Act at coal ash sites across North Carolina. Four of those criminal violations are connected to the spill at the retired Dan River Steam Station near Eden.

The News & Record reports  a “status conference” reserved for lawyers involved in the case is scheduled  for Wednesday at 11 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Malcolm Howard in his Greenville chambers.

On Feb. 2, 2014, a storm water pipe under an ash basin at the retired Dan River coal plant failed, releasing around 39,000 tons of coal ash into the waterway. The spill raised immediate concerns about drinking water and the long-term impact on the environment.

Since then, the company has removed nearly 5,000 tons of coal ash near drinking water intake sites. The EPA is conducting quarterly testing through July to monitor the river.

Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news