Guilty as Charged: Duke Energy to Pay Record Fine for Coal Ash Crimes – Deirdre Fulton

Duke Energy pleaded guilty on Thursday to environmental crimes and has agreed to pay a record $102 million in fines and restitution for years of illegal pollution, ignored warnings, and poorly maintained infrastructure. U.S. District Court Judge Malcolm Howard said it is the largest federal criminal fine in North Carolina history. But some environmentalists insist the punishment is insufficient, given …