NC Politicians Suddenly Concerned About Coal Ash Cleanup Costs' Impact On Joe Sixpack
Raleigh, N.C. — Some key lawmakers say they are unhappy with the prospect of Duke Energy raising rates to pay for the cleanup of coal ash ponds across North Carolina. "My objective is to keep it off the ratepayers," said Rep. Mike Hager, R-Rutherford, a co-chairman of the legislature's Environmental Review Commission and the state House Committee on Public Utilities.
Coal ash, the toxin-laced mixture left over after coal is burned for fuel, became a front-and-center environmental issue for the state when a Duke coal ash storage pond spilled up to 40,000 gallons of the stuff in the Dan River near Eden last month. The company has 14 locations throughout the state where coal ash is stored in unlined ponds like the one in Eden.
Duke has consistently said shareholders and the company's insurers would bear the cost of cleaning up the actual spill and the damage it did. Chief Executive Lynn Good, however, said last week that the company would turn to ratepayers to help cover the cost of permanently cleaning up all of its ash ponds in North Carolina. That is consistent with her remarks during a conference call with stock analysts in February.
Many of the ash ponds have been shown to be leaking contaminants into local groundwater supplies. Top-ranking lawmakers said early on they would push through bills that would require Duke to clean up the ponds. Left unsaid in those early conversations was who would pay for the cleanup. Gov. Pat McCrory has said that he wants to "keep politics out" of the decision-making process and has declined to say what he thinks the company should do. Duke officials are scheduled to deliver their plans for dealing with the ponds to state regulators by Saturday.
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http://www.wral.com/key-lawmakers-say-coal-ash-cleanup-should-not-raise-rates/13473230/
