Duke Energy to appeal $25.1M state fine for New Hanover pollution

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Duke Energy says it will appeal a record $25.1 million fine recently imposed by state regulators for pollution in New Hanover County.

Two week ago the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced the fine for groundwater contamination from coal ash at the Sutton Plant on US 421 just north of downtown Wilmington.

Today Duke said it “will vigorously contest (the) unprecedented civil penalty.”

“This is a difficult step, but we cannot allow this level of regulatory overreach to go unchallenged,” Duke’s state president for North Carolina Paul Newton said in a release. “The actions by NCDENR send a chilling message to the North Carolina business community.”

Duke says it plans to file a formal appeal by April 9. In the meantime the power company says it continues its plans to close its coal ash basins across North Carolina pending state approval.