Robert Y. George: Duke’s gesture good

In 2010, British Petroleum committed the unpardonable blunder by spilling huge quantities of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the Deep Water Horizon platform accident. The federal fine was in billions of dollars, which BP refused to pay by taking the case to the court.

On the contrary, Duke Energy apologized in a full-page ad in The N&O on May 18 for the collapse of the storm water pipe on Feb. 2, 2014 beneath a coal ash basin at Dan River Steam Station in Rockingham County. As a consequence, nearly 39,000 tons of ash and 27 million gallons of coal ash waste spilled into Dan River.

Duke Energy has now consented to pay $24 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

I applaud this generous gesture that should lead to substantial enhancement in restoration of North Carolina riverine/riparian ecosystems.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Robert Y. George: Duke’s gesture good."