CHARLOTTE (AP) — Duke Energy and North Carolina environmental regulators have proposed a settlement in a lawsuit that said coal ash at a power plant threatens Charlotte’s water supply.
The settlement calls for Duke to assess the sources and extent of contamination at the Riverbend power plant and also at a power plant in Asheville.
The settlement will be open for public comment for a month.
Duke would be fined $90,000 if the settlement is approved.
Jamie Kritzer with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Department says the settlement allows regulators to determine the extent of contamination before a plan is developed.
The Southern Environmental Law Center says the settlement does not go far enough, saying it allows more study on a problem that has been known for years.