60 Minutes slaps around Duke Energy

The Story

60 Minutes and tough-as-nails correspondent Lesley Stahl takes on Duke Energy and CEO Lynn Good over the company’s coal ash problems. Gov. McCrory gets in a few licks, too. View the 14min segement here if the video player below doesn’t load for you.

The Facts

– Duke’s track record on how it disposes of coal ash – a byproduct of coal-fueled electricity – has come under fire since 39,000 tons spilled into the Dan River earlier this year.

– Duke has 108 million tons of coal ash sitting in ponds near water sources throughout NC. Critics say it’s at risk of contaminating groundwater and surface water.

– On 60 Minutes, Stahl pressed Good on why Duke had not addressed concerns over Dan River raised during inspections.

– Good said they were monitoring closely for leaks, but the pipe never leaked – it just failed.

– It would cost Duke an estimated $10 billion to relocate all of its coal ash to dry landfills. Other options include lining the ponds or capping them.

– Stahl clearly didn’t buy Good’s explanation that more study was needed to figure out a solution.

– Perhaps most surprising was Gov. Pat McCrory’s criticism of Duke. McCrory worked for Duke for years. He said the company has done “very little” to clean up the coal ash contamination.

 Quotes

“I think (Duke’s) record’s been quite poor because, frankly, it’s been out of sight and out of mind.” — Gov. Pat McCrory on the Dan River plant, which has been closed for years

“I cannot immediately move 108 million tons of ash.” — Good

“And to say we need to study more, you know, is a very frustrating thing to have to hear. And I’m not even a citizen of North Carolina.” – Stahl

 C5’s Take

When 60 Minutes comes to town, you know it ain’t good. For Duke Energy on Sunday night, it wasn’t good. Repeated shots of waterways filled with murky gray ash isn’t the PR image Duke Energy wants these days.

Photo: Abbi O’Leary/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published December 8, 2014 at 5:44 AM with the headline "60 Minutes slaps around Duke Energy."