North Carolina Court Approves Duke Coal Ash Deal

A North Carolina court has approved a settlement over closing Duke Energy Corp.'s remaining coal ash ponds in the state.

North Carolina’s Superior Court for Wake County on Wednesday approved a deal reached by the state Department of Environmental Quality, community and environmental groups, and Duke Energy covering nearly 80 million tons of coal ash. The parties reached the deal in December.

“This closes the chapter on the outdated practice of storing coal ash in open, unlined pits in North Carolina and protects the public health and the environment,” Michael S. Regan, North Carolina’s environment secretary, said in a ...