CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The company today issued the following statement related to an agreement between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio and Duke Energy Beckjord, LLC regarding a 9,000-gallon diesel fuel oil spill into the Ohio River in August 2014.
Terms of the agreement include one misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act, a fine of $1 million and a $100,000 contribution to the Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE). In addition, the company has already reimbursed government and private entities approximately $950,000 for costs incurred in connection with the spill.
A worker performing a routine fuel transfer from one tank to another failed to stop the process at the appropriate time, spilling fuel into a secondary containment structure. The valve in that overflow structure was left open, allowing the fuel to reach the river.
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This agreement allows our company to put this incident behind us and move forward.
We immediately apologized for the oil spill at our Beckjord facility in Ohio, took responsibility for the accident and responded quickly in coordination with dozens of state and federal agencies to ensure that people and the environment remained safe and well protected.
We have used the accident as an opportunity to learn and improve. For example, over the past two years, we have worked hard to further strengthen our processes, training and emergency plans at our facilities.
About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
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