Judge throws out Cliffside coal plant lawsuit

Story from the Charlotte Observer:

A federal judge in Asheville on Thursday dismissed an environmental lawsuit challenging Duke Energy's construction of a $2.4 billion addition to its Cliffside coal-fired power plant.

Judge Lacy Thornburg's order leaves remaining legal opposition to the plant, which is more than one-third complete, before a state administrative court.

Five environmental groups filed the federal suit last year, claiming Duke illegally began work on the plant before a full review of the stringency of its pollution controls. Cliffside is 60 miles west of Charlotte.