Federal authorities launch criminal investigation into the Dan River coal-ash spill

Ana McKenzieFebruary 13, 2014December 18, 2022

Duke's caption for the photo: "The ruptured stormwater pipe was fitted with a temporary plug that, for a time, stopped the flow of water to the river while a permanent engineering solution was in development." Credit: Duke Energy

Federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the recent coal-ash spill into the Dan River – an environmental nightmare and the third largest coal-ash spill in U.S. history.

The Associated Press reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Raleigh “issued a grand jury subpoenas demanding records from Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The subpoenas seek emails, memos and reports from 2010 through the Feb. 2 spill.”

Stay tuned, folks.

This article appears in Feb 12-18, 2014.

Ana McKenzie

Ana McKenzie is CL's news and culture editor. Born and raised in south Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 and moved to Los Angeles to try to become a movie star (or a journalist).... More by Ana McKenzie