Tag: environmental compliance
Massive Sewage Leak Highlights the Need for Advance Planning
A massive sewage leak in Conaway, Virginia, approximately one mile from the Kentucky border, has officials and residents worried about water quality in Fishtrap Lake, a popular boating and fishing destination near Pikeville. The leak began on March 4, 2015, when a deluge of floodwater from major successive snow melt and rain events forcefully removed […]
Testing of fish from the Ohio River (Louisville to Paducah) demonstrates safe mercury levels
Mercury levels in fish are not as high as previously estimated. The water quality standard for mercury is based on methyl mercury (CH3Hg+), which is the bioavailable fraction of total mercury. The current standard for methyl mercury is 0.3 mg/Kg and was developed for safe human consumption of fish. (Excess mercury is a health concern […]
Companies Pay Massive Fine for Clean Water Act Crimes
As we told you earlier this week, Duke Energy has been charged with environmental violations. This blog contains additional details. Three subsidiaries of Duke Energy, the largest utility in the United States, pled guilty to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act. Four of the charges are the direct result of the massive coal […]
Duke Energy Coal Ash Settlement
Last week, Duke Energy, the nation’s largest electric power company pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal pollution for discharging ash and water from leaking coal-ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The company’s plea to nine misdemeanor counts involved violations of the Clean Water Act was part of a negotiated settlement with federal […]