The City of Danville announced Thursday that it has contracted with an environmental law attorney to assist the city with matters relating to the spill of coal ash into the Dan River from Duke Energy’s shuttered Dan River Steam Station.
The contract is with Charles L. Williams, a senior partner in the Roanoke firm of Gentry Locke Rakes and Moore. Williams heads the firm’s environmental law practice.
His work with the firm includes advising corporate and municipal clients in the areas of environmental compliance and environmental litigation and administrative proceedings.
Williams joined Gentry Locke in 1970. He received his doctorate in law from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1970.
The coal ash spill occurred when a pipe under the main ash pond at the Dan River Steam Station – located 20 miles upstream from Danville – broke on Feb. 2 and spewed 30,000-39,000 tons of coal ash and 24-27 million gallons of water into the Dan River.