Duke Energy [N.C.] cited; 8th time in less than a month...
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina regulators say Duke Energy illegally pumped 61 million gallons of contaminated water from a coal ash pit into the Cape Fear River, marking the eighth time in less than a month the nation's largest electricity company has been cited for environmental violations.
The pumping violated the terms of Duke's wastewater permit at its Cape Fear Plant, State Department of Environment and Natural Resources spokesman Jamie Kritzer said Thursday. Kritzer said the agency has issued Duke a formal notice of violation, which could result in hefty fines.
Duke's dumping was first spotted March 10 by the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance, which took aerial photos of two large mobile pumps at the facility. The pumps appeared to be sucking water directly from a large coal ash dump into nearby woods and into a canal leading to the river.
When the inspectors arrived, Duke had disabled the pumps the environmental group had photographed the prior day, Kritzer said.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/duke-energy-pumped-coal-ash-into-nc-river-regulators-say/
From the link: As is customary, Duke had been given advance notice of the inspection