SC Legislature Moving To Free Duke Energy From Coal Waste Cleanup, Block Citizen Lawsuits

[hatrack]

COLUMBIA, SC — South Carolina policymakers are moving ahead with a plan that could shield Duke Energy from having to clean out polluted coal ash ponds in two areas of the state.

This past week, the state House voted 80-30 for a bill that will block lawsuits by citizens groups under the S.C. Pollution Control Act. The bill now moves to the Senate, which signed off on a similar bill two years ago. “It is amnesty for polluters,” Rep. James Smith, D-Richland said.

While the bill would apply to any company, it’s particularly relevant to Duke Energy, Smith and others said.

Duke is under pressure to clean out coal ash lagoons in both Carolinas so that leaks of toxin-riddled ash are no longer threats from waste ponds. Calls for ash pond cleanups have intensified since a spill occurred last month at a Duke waste lagoon in North Carolina.

EDIT

http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/02/28/2975542/duke-energy-could-avoid-coal-ash.html

[Turbineguy]

1. That's why you vote for republicans

so you can fuck people over with no comeback.

[Scuba]

2. Just serving their constituents.

[WhiteTara]

3. And we know who they are! nt

[Nihil]

4. Is it simply the detachment enabled by a large ocean ...

... or are there truly a lot of nutball states desperately trying to outdo each other
in the attempt to put the most ridiculously retarded piece of legislation through their
local government?

The letters "WTF" are totally diminished by the scale of the insanity being
demonstrated recently ...

[theHandpuppet]

5. Absolutely outrageous

Our state legislatures all bought paid for and wrapped with a big, slimy bow... brought to you by Big Coal and Big Oil.