Environmental Matters
Duke Energy is subject to international, federal, state and local regulations with regard to air and water quality, hazardous and solid waste disposal and other environmental matters. Environmental regulations affecting Duke Energy include, but are not limited to:
- The Clean Air Act and the 1990 amendments to the Act, as well as state laws and regulations impacting air emissions, including State Implementation Plans related to existing and new national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter. Owners and/or operators of air emissions sources are responsible for obtaining permits and for annual compliance and reporting.
- The Federal Water Pollution Control Act which requires permits for facilities that discharge treated wastewater into the environment.
- The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, which can require any individual or entity that may have owned or operated a disposal site, as well as transporters or generators of hazardous substances sent to such site, to share in remediation costs.
- The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which requires certain solid wastes, including hazardous wastes, to be managed pursuant to a comprehensive regulatory regime.
- The National Environmental Policy Act, which requires consideration of potential environmental impacts by federal agencies in their decisions, including siting approvals.
(For more information on environmental matters involving Duke Energy, including possible liability and capital costs, see Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, "Commitments and Contingencies—Environmental.")
Except to the extent discussed in Note 4 and Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, compliance with international, federal, state and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise protecting the environment, is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the competitive position, consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position of Duke Energy.