Duke Energy has been found guilty of nine criminal violations under the Clean Water Act at several of its facilities in North Carolina, US.
The company will pay $68m fine and spend $34m on environmental remediation projects and land conservation projects in North Carolina and Virginia.
Four charges of violations by three subsidiaries of Duke Energy involved coal ash spill at the Dan River steam station in Rockingham County .
The company has also been pleaded guilty to coal ash discharge violations at the Cape Fear steam electric plant in Chatham County, the Asheville steam electric generating facility in Buncombe County, the H.F. Lee steam electric plant in Wayne County, and the Riverbend steam station in Gaston County.
Duke Energy was alleged to have failed to maintain equipment at the Dan River and Cape Fear plants and unlawfully discharged coal ash and/or coal ash wastewater from impoundments at the Dan River, Asheville, Lee and Riverbend facilities.
EPA office of enforcement and compliance assurance assistant administrator Cynthia Giles said: "Over two hundred sixteen million Americans rely on surface water as their source of drinking water. Duke Energy put that precious resource at risk in North Carolina as the result of their negligence.
"Companies that cut corners and contaminate waters on which communities depend, as Duke did here, will be held accountable."
Duke Energy Business Services, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress are the subsidiaries involved in plea agreements.
