It's a start . . .
The pressure on Duke Energy over its coal ash practices has intensified as federal authorities revealed a criminal investigation of a “suspected felony” surrounding a Feb. 2 ash spill on North Carolina’s Dan River.
Duke and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed Thursday that they were subpoenaed to produce records before a federal grand jury that will meet in Raleigh next month.
The DENR subpoena demanded documents, including correspondence with Duke, since January 2010. It seeks records linked to the broken stormwater pipe that funneled up to 39,000 tons of ash – Duke’s updated estimate – and records on other discharges and seepage from the site.
A criminal prosecution under the Clean Water Act could expose its target, including individuals, to fines triple the size of civil penalties, environmental law experts say, and potentially send somebody to prison.http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/13/4690741/grand-jury-investigates-coal-ash.html#.Uv1-lfldXh4
The Gadfly has no illusions dear reader that any important, decision making people at Duke Energy will ever see the inside of a federal prison cell should culpability of criminal negligence be established - for the simple reality that these large energy conglomerates, have at their disposal, a veritable army of well-paid law firms whose sole mission is to ensure that their clients are never, ever, ever held accountable for their unlawful conduct.
So even though the Feds have announced a "criminal investigation," that is simply the first baby step in what is certain to be a long, drawn out legal tussle, which if past history is any indication, typically culminates in the white-collar criminals receiving a sternly worded warning and slap on the hand, along with a monetary fine that will amount to nothing more than a tax write-off for the criminal corporation at the end of the year.
It's just a sad fact that this is just plain old SOP - Standard Operation Procedure - in the relationship between government regulators and the corporate malefactors whom they are supposed to be responsible for monitoring and holding accountable when the corporation's malfeasance results in grievous harm to man, nature or beast.
Nonetheless, just the fact that federal authorities jumped in and interceded in the matter by issuing subpoenas, not only to Duke Energy, but also to the North Carolina state regulators (DENR) -- people who's interests are infinitely more compromised than the feds -- signifies that something pretty bad has occurred and it's time to start presenting evidence to a grand jury for the issuing of indictments.
Concurrently, at some point, the American people also need to stand up and use their combined voices of outrage to demand, unconditionally, that these gross polluters and natural resource rapists pay a harsh penalty for their ruining people's lives and quality of life all over the country. Enough fucking already!
And considering the fact that the conservative business people, with the support of their ideological allies on the Supreme Court, have deemed that "corporations are people," then that begs the following question - a question for which the American people are deserving of a straightforward answer to right goddamn now:
[ click pic to enlarge ]
----TFG
No comments:
Post a Comment