North Carolina treasurer voting Duke Energy shares against director

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina official who manages public pension funds says she'll vote against a Duke Energy board member in hopes that a replacement will deal with a coal ash spill that coated 70 miles of a river with toxic sludge.

State Treasurer Janet Cowell declared Wednesday she'll vote against Duke Energy director Carlos Saladrigas's re-election at the company's shareholder meeting on Thursday. Cowell said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press she wants a third vacancy on the board committee overseeing company operations.

A Cowell spokesman says North Carolina's pension funds own less than one-tenth of 1 percent of Duke Energy shares.

A company spokesman noted the company's directors have told disgruntled shareholders they are developing plans to deal with coal ash.