June 10, 2014 — Duke Energy, in agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, announced Monday that it will pay all cleanup costs associated with the recent Dan River spill.
The agreement requires Duke to pay any "reasonable" cost as a result of the Feb. 2 spill at its powerplant near Eden, N.C., which coated 70 miles of the river in toxic coal ash, the Associated Press (AP) reported. A similar agreement was signed by Duke with the US Environmental Protection Agency last month.
"This agreement represents a significant milestone in Duke Energy's ongoing efforts to restore and monitor the Dan River and surrounding environment," the company said in a written statement. "Duke Energy is fully committed to the river's long-term health and well-being."
Duke – the nation's largest electricity company – has already been hard at work dredging up the gray sludge that has since settled at the bottom of the river as far downstream as Danville, Va. Due to unforeseen costs and unpredictable long-term effects on the river's aquatic life, new laws also require Duke to pay for ongoing monitoring conducted by government agencies. There is no set cap on the company's required expenses.
Read the full story at Nature World News