Dendron hearings on proposed power plant will be repeated in 2012

Dendron hearings on proposed power plant will be repeated in 2012 – Although Old Dominion Electric Cooperative mulled options, site remains top choice

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative will hold a second round of public hearings on a rezoning and conditional use permit to build the state’s largest coal-fueled power plant in Dendron next year.

On Monday, the company’s executive board decided that Old Dominion will repeat the hearings rather than challenge Surry Circuit Court Judge Sam Campbell’s Nov. 18 ruling that residents were not properly notified of the Dendron Town Council’s intent to vote after the first hearing on Feb. 1, 2010, said company spokesman David Hudgins. The company wants to build Cypress Creek Power Station, a 1,500-megawatt coal-burning power plant, on 1,200 acres in town.

The date of the new public hearing – and a subsequent town council vote – for the proposed power station will not be set until 2012. Company and town attorneys will make sure the town’s intent to vote is clear in any advertisements, Hudgins said.

Glad they can’t pull one over on the public this time…

Sadly, when they can see those dollar signs, I can easily see the Town of Dendron and Surry County going for this all over again…yep. They won’t stop till they get what they want whether it’s good for the health of property owners and residents or not.

Yep, do something stupid and expect God to mitigate the damage to people, the earth and wildlife…whatever happened to taking care of what God gave us?! Coal mining and burning coal … oh, yeah, that’s gotta be a good thing for people (especially children, the elderly and those at risk healthwise like my Jim who is on an oxygen concentrator), the earth and wildlife…oh, yeah…that makes sense. NOT.

AN ILL WIND – The Secret Threat of Coal Ash

First, I would like to thank those who got our grid power back on here in Virginia after Hurricane Irene knocked it out about 24 hrs before Irene made landfall in the Outerbanks of NC.

One thing that being out of power for more than a couple days does do is make you realize how dependent we all have become on ‘the grid’ and how we really need to change that at some point, don’t you think? Between dangers of outages like this, and potential threats from terrorists on our infrastructure, it just seems to make sense that we figure out a way to get the power we need but by decentralizing from The Grid.

Over the last month, since August 4th, we have intermittently had to deal with the smoke and ill air quality of the wildfire in the dismal swamp. There were times when here in our little town there was smoke hanging in the air, and in our very homes when we woke up in the morning and were having trouble breathing. It was particularly bad for my Jim who is on an oxygen concentrator. Thankfully, Hurricane Irene, actually did one thing that was good, it almost (but not quite) put out that wildfire. I hope they can get the 30 or so hot spots put out before it dries out again.

Because I have a problem with the whole issue of dangerous coal ash, and huge coal plants close to people’s homes and spewing dangerous arsenic, and so much more into our air, does not mean I don’t appreciate The Grid or those who work to provide and maintain, and restore that power after natural disasters like this. My only complaint is the dangerous ways in which they often do that; meaning coal – from the cradle to the grave and the health and environmental dangers it poses.

Coal from Mountain Top Removal to this ILL WIND of coal ash that sends ‘sandstorms’ of coal ash directly over the reservation when the winds blow wrong, and other coal plant travesties around the country and around the world, to ODEC trying to get a 1500 MW coal fired power plant in Dendron, VA and Surry County rolling over to get the money they are promised and the empty purse of promised jobs (yeah, how many and for how long, and what of those who live here?) To the whole of a region like Hampton Roads that will be adversely affected by a 1500 MW coal plant with a prevailing wind that will draw that smoke/vapor over other areas in Hampton Roads.

From the text at Youtube:

See the whole project at http://www.earthjustice.org/illwind

The Moapa River Indian Reservation, tribal home of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, sits about 30 miles north of Las Vegas and about 300 yards from the coal ash ponds and landfills of the Reid Gardner Power Station. Coal ash is the toxic ash and sludge left at the end of the coal burning process. It’s laced with arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. It’s the second largest waste stream in America and it’s currently unregulated.

If the conditions are just wrong, coal ash picks up from Reid Gardner and moves across the desert like a toxic sandstorm sending the local residents running for their homes. The reservation has lung, heart and thyroid disease rates that are abnormally high and the power plant is currently seeking to expand its coal ash storage capability.

The film An Ill Wind tells the Paiute Indians’ story.

View and interactive presentation of the story at:

http://www.earthjustice.org/illwind

Watch the complete film at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL49Ibc0L88

And learn more about coal ash at:

http://www.earthjustice.org/coalash

Many thanks to the Moapa Band of Paiutes for allowing us to tell this story and to Vinny Spotleson of the Sierra Club and Dan Galpern of the Western Environmental Law Center for helping with the project.

I guess we as individuals and families really do need to start thinking about how we can get ourselves off the grid … if more homes are off the grid, these big coal plants wouldn’t even be considered necessary…

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Well, here in the sunny south, a week and a day before official Winter, it has been snowing all morning.

We also had a very cold spell last week and will have one again this week. How cold? It was in the teens overnight here in Virginia in early December. And will be again this week. And this week we have the added ‘benefit’ of wind chill factors that may tumble into the single digits at least one day this week.

OK, you guys up in Canada? Take back your arctic air! We have had enough already! LOL!

This is only the first half of December. What do we have to look forward to by the time the real cold gets here in January and February (besides higher orange juice prices due to even Florida having very cold (for them this time of year) weather?

Global Warming, my a….nevermind.

Hope you all enjoy the Christmas Theme and snow on my blog for the Christmas holidays 2010.

Keep Focus on plans for Coal Plant

Keep Focus on plans for Coal Plant
Originally in The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA, Oct 2, 2010. The article is by Bob Burnley

In response to ODEC supposedly putting this 1500 MW ‘twin towers’ 24/7 coal plant on ice for 12-18 months, but all the while still continuing their permit process with the USACE and EPA, Bob Burnley reminds us of the following and more in this article:

The plant would make existing environmental and economic problems in the region worse. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Virginia Beach ranks 45th on a list of the “most challenging places to live with asthma.” Richmond is No. 1. Three thousand tons of ozone-producing nitrogen oxides and 2,000 tons per year of particulate matter from the plant, just upwind from Virginia Beach, would exacerbate this.

The plant would emit mercury, a neurotoxin. Babies exposed before birth can suffer reduced IQ levels and other neurological problems. Children exposed can suffer learning disabilities and other health issues. There has to be a healthier way to generate electricity.

Citizens across the Bay watershed are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to remove nitrogen from discharges to the Bay and its tributaries. This plant and the thousands of tons of nitrogen compounds emitted from its smokestacks could very well doom the Bay, the region’s watermen and a thriving tourist industry. There must be a less polluting way to generate power.

Much more in this must read article.

We can not forget what they want to do to Dendron, Surry County, Hampton Roads, Virginia, or how this coal is obtained from the ancient mountains in Appalachia through MTR and how Wise Engergy for Virginia and others are trying to help keep this from happening.

More information here on my blog.

Support Lyme Groups’ Decision to Withdraw from IOM Lyme Workshop

Support Lyme Groups’ Decision to Withdraw from IOM Lyme Workshop

Please let Congress know you support the move by LDA, TFL and CALDA to withdraw from the NIH/IOM State-of-the-Science Lyme Disease and Other Tick Borne Diseases Workshop by reading the statement below and completing the response form. LDA will send your reply directly to Congressman Christopher H. Smith (NJ). It will not be used for any purpose other than this project. Thank you!

Lyme Groups Withdraw from Scientific Meeting

I support the move by the national Lyme Disease Association (LDA), the California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA), and Time For Lyme (TFL) to withdraw from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored workshop. I agree that the above groups should not participate in nor submit the Institutes of Medicine’s (IOM) commissioned scientific paper to the Panel in protest of the IOM’s workshop about the state of the science regarding Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Despite the 3 groups’ repeated requests for transparency and a balance of scientific viewpoints, as delineated in Congressional Appropriations language, neither the hearing panel nor the speakers selected by the IOM satisfy the Congressional intent or objectives.

The IOM’s mission was to provide an “independent, objective and non-partisan” program and there are no scheduled speakers with opposing viewpoints of similar scientific weight to balance Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) presentations about the research gaps in Lyme disease. Many state-of-the-art scientific researchers, experienced clinicians and patient advocates have been relegated by the IOM and NIH to spectator positions. I believe that this amount of bias undermines the integrity of the scientific workshop and that its final report will reflect this lack of objectivity.

Support Lyme Groups’ Decision to Withdraw from IOM Lyme Workshop

As most who read my blog know, my hubby has been suffering with Lyme Disease for several years now including a paralyzed right side diaphragm. This particular problem (only one of many my hubby experiences), is well known to be a ‘side affect’ of Lyme Disease and documented in various places. Here’s one article about it “Diaphragmatic paralysis due to Lyme disease“.

Just for the record, confirmation articles were discovered AFTER the diagnosis. And although the doctor didn’t confirm the source of the problem (likely afraid to do so), he did confirm the paralysis during one of the two a hospital stays of 8 days on two IV antibiotics for diverticulitis, also from the Lyme Disease. NEITHER OF THESE PROBLEMS, or the high blood pressure and other issues were ever a problem until after the tick bite and the bullseye rash and subsequent ‘typical’ antibiotic treatment (doxycycline) and allergic reaction, or more likely a ‘die off’ reaction, to the massive death of the Lyme bug that nearly killed him with dangerously high blood pressure (which he never suffered with before this incident).

Am I getting through to you Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Dr. Gary Wormser of Westchester Medical Center ?! My hubby was a healthy person who was active and vibrant until Lyme Disease struck him down. It was a night and day difference. Now tell me one thing has nothing to do with the other. Anybody?….

Progress in Virginia coal plant fight: ODEC announces postponement

ODEC is delaying building Cypress Creek Power Station for 18-24 months! This is some exciting news! It feels like a reprieve or maybe for some, a stay of execution…

Note however that ODEC is quick to point out that they are not backing down on building the Cypress Creek Power Station, but “The delay is result of uncertain federal regulations and the slumping economy, which has altered the nation’s projected electricity demands. … “The economy just doesn’t seem to be coming out of the recession that quickly,” he said.“

BTW: Here’s something we all can do to help….write to the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Progress in Virginia coal plant fight: ODEC announces postponement!

Old Dominion Electric Co-op announced today that it plans to postpone for up to two years pursuit of air pollution permits for the massive new coal plant it is proposing. This exciting news shows the progress we are making in opposing the plant! The fight is far from over, however, and we need your help to make sure this plant never gets built.

Though ODEC’s plans are delayed the company is working to advance the plant at the local level and is seeking water pollution permits from the Army Corps of Engineers. Please click here to write the Army Corps today to ensure a critical evaluation of ODEC’s purposed need for this massive plant.

Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition Lauds Delay of ODEC’s Plans for Coal-FIred Power Plant ” (also at SELC here);

The Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition lauded Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s announcement today to delay plans for what would be the largest coal-fired power plant in Virginia. The temporary halt will allow the company, its customers, government officials and the conservation community to explore alternatives that will cost less and cause less harm to the environment.

Woohoo! Delay gives more time to consider the issues. And it must be very gratifying to those who had already calculated from the numbers – even before the economy started collapsing and not recovering as quickly as claimed – that ODEC’s statements on energy needs did not warrant building the 1500 MEGAWATT Cypress Creek Power Station in our backyards here in Dendron, Surry County, VA.

You know, it would be so much better if regulation wasn’t necessary. I for one do not generally agree that more regulation is better; in fact, it usually makes matters worse. I am against government intervention in businesses, or in our lives, in general. I believe in freedom and liberty and how important it is.

However, when the greed of companies (and people’s perceived need of electricity), causes disrespect and neglect in looking out for the health and welfare of those who will live near and around this behemoth power station … I just don’t see what recourse we have. Especially when many residents know this county really needs some financial help which this business would provide. But at what cost?!

This Cypress Creek Power Station will be within 1 mile of ALL residents of the Town of Dendron. But the 30 mile footprint of the worst of the effects of a coal plant this big will affect all of Hampton Roads.

Those of us who see beyond the dollar signs just have to hope that the EPA and the VA Air Board and the USACE will look at everything, not just what ODEC says, and the money or electricity it will provide downline, and come up with sound and safe regulations for the health and welfare of all local residents.

The needs of the many in this case do not outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. Not when there are safer and healthier alternatives that can do what is needed, even if it would cost more money.

People are more important than things.

Ultimately keeping the environment safe means saving lives, or at the very least providing better quality of life. We have to live on this planet, we have to eat the food grown here and livestock raised here, we have to breath the air, and drink the water. We can’t afford to be so shortsighted.

Here’s a good example from a recent situation that happened locally. I will preface this with the fact that it is very infrequent that we, here in Dendron, VA experience poor air quality, but over the last week we actually had a few days when the air quality was poor. This was documented on the NOAA/Weather.gov site.

I have had such good air to breath most of the time, that I forgot what it was to have labored breathing while doing nothing in particular laborious! And it was hard to breath freely — this was particularly true for those with lung ailments (including my Jim who has a paralyzed right side diaphragm). Just think how hard it will be to breath in pretty short order with poor air quality much of the time, if not all the time, after this 1500 MEGAWATT plant goes online 24/7.

What kind of physical stress does that put on a person’s body? I for one do not wish to live that way — day in and day out — just so others who live in another state, or another part of Virginia, can have more electricity. There are ways to generate electricity much more safely for humans and the environment. Let’s make that happen. Please…

==

Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition Lauds Delay of ODEC’s Plans for a Coal-Fired Plant (SELC)

Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition Lauds Delay of ODEC’s Plans for Coal-FIred Power Plant (PitchEngine)

Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition calls on ODEC to permanently withdraw delayed coal plant proposal (CCAN)

BREAKING NEWS: ODEC Delays Coal Plant Proposal, Wise Energy Coalition Calls on ODEC to Withdraw (WiseEnergyForVirginia)

Surry coal plant delayed 18-24 months (DailyPress)

ODEC delays plans for power plant permits (VirginiaBusiness)

ODEC Delays Plans for Surry-Hampton Roads Coal Plant (BlueVirginia)

ODEC Delays Plans for Surry-Hampton Roads Coal Plant (Article XI)

And of course many articles about this on my own blog here.

$6 Billion Dollar Coal-fired Power Plant

$6 Billion Dollar Coal-fired Power Plant (ClarkeDailyNews.com):

Clarke Daily News – Opinion & Editorial

The July 15 article “New Electric Provider Promises Better Service and Lower Rates” brings up a very good point. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) members are part owners of their utility. As part owners, they have the right to know what REC is doing, to have a voice in the decision making process, and to hold the board of directors accountable for its decisions.

So why was Rob Marmet, a candidate for the board of directors, the only one to mention the $6 billion coal plant being proposed by REC’s parent cooperative? It is the most expensive plant ever proposed in the U.S., yet it was barely touched upon by the board. Instead, they promised lower rates. Where is this $6 billion going to come from, if not the electricity bills of the members?

If 15,000 new members did not receive their membership packets, as stated by REC, how many of them did not receive their Cooperative Living magazine that contains their proxy ballot? This is the only way in which members are able to vote for the board of directors and express their views about REC’s already apparent lack of transparency and accountability. REC is clearly not providing its members with vital information about decisions within the co-op, nor are they making the decision-making process easily accessible to new members. I urge REC members to make their voices heard on these matters before it’s $6 billion too late.

Justin Klecha

Fredericksburg, Virginia

The article Justin Klecha is referring to is here: New Electric Provider Promises Better Service and Lower Rates – worth a read.

And there is more information on REC’s Board of Directors Candidate Rob Marmet here: Rob4Rec.com where he asks some pointed questions regarding the costs involved for the new proposed ODEC plant in Dendron, Surry County, Virginia. The REC is a member of the Cooperative for which ODEC provides power. (From the Get The Facts tab) where Rob Marmet says:

The Proposed Surry Coal Plant

In December 2008, REC’s parent cooperative, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), announced plans to construct a 1,500 megawatt coal-fired power plant just 32 miles from the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads. It would be the largest coal plant in Virginia and the most expensive plant ever constructed in the U.S.

This coal-fired plant’s daily environmental impact would be the equivalent of putting three million more cars on our roads. Requiring at least 26 million gallons of water daily from the James River, the plant would spew more than 110,000 pounds of toxic emissions daily into our air and water. Pollutants including lead, mercury, and nitrogen could devastate sensitive oyster and crab spawning grounds and undermine renewed efforts to restore the Bay.

The plant would be in danger of stifling other economic development in the area as a result of poor air quality and non-attainment designations. More than 100 coal plants have been canceled, delayed, or rejected in the United States since 2001 due to similar concerns.

If built, the project will cost upwards of $4-6 billion. Cooperative members will be locked into a 40 to 50 year obligation, ultimately paying $8,989-$13,483 per household for the cost of the plant. REC board members have been making these decisions behind closed doors and providing little information about the project and its potential effects on members’ rates.
Money Spent to Date
Disclosed Costs

Land purchased for coal plant: $14.3 million

Land purchased for water intake facility: $1.1 million

Clean Air Act application: $1.1 million

Rezoning fee: $10,000

Money promised to the town of Dendron, proposed site for the plant:
Playground: $100,000
Water repairs: $600,000
New sidewalks: $65,000
Undisclosed Costs

Designing plant, attorney fees, modeling and analysis for permitting applications

Total Spent: About $16 million dollars

Projected additional costs: More than $5 billion

How much does REC owe? Rob Marmet wants answers!

Yeah, the proposed plant is very close to the James River which feeds the Chesapeake Bay and all of Hampton Roads which is bad, but it’s also within 1 mile (stack shadow) of our little rural town of Dendron, Surry County where, if built, there will be 2 huge stacks spewing all this crap that Rob Marmet talks about right outside our little town’s home’s windows….and so much more….

It is sad to see that ODEC appears to have won in Dendron and Surry County where all they can see are the dollar signs in a very down economy … instead of the long term health red flag signs that everyone will have to live with for a very long time ….

Check out other articles I have posted here on my blog about this proposed coal fired power plant since this all started here in Dendron, Surry County, Virginia here.

Facebook account deactivated today

Well, today is the day.

As much as I love Facebook, and enjoy the ability to keep in contact with family and friends easily, I have deactivated my account today in protest of their stance on privacy and the apparent lack of concern for their users by changing to the opposite stance on user privacy. It has been one step, after another over the last year or so. Desensitizing users to the changes they have made by doing it slowly.

Facebook sees dollar signs where we users are concerned. They have deluded themselves into thinking that with all the family and/friends connectios, and simplicity of keeping in contact with our Facebook friends, that we won’t be able to stop, that we are now hooked…”we have you now” in Darth Vader’s voice.

Is it true?

Not in my case at least. I let my friends and family know what I was doing. They support and understand. Will any of them do the same thing? I hope so…

We need to stand together to disallow Facebook a pass on the changes from supposed concern for users and user’s security and privacy to what it is today … where they are saying we don’t care about privacy by default. That we only see the connections we can make to other sites?!?! Facebook is saying proudly that they are the next MySpace … “now we control all these users and connections, and you as users have no privacy. Privacy is dead.”

Can we prove them wrong?

===

Edit: added some links to help make your decision:

With Facebook’s security and privacy standards under fire from all sides, suffice it to say that this is not a good time for one of the company’s investors to fall for a Facebook phishing scam. (Facebook phishing scam snares company board member – CNET – May 10, 2010 8:42 AM PDT )

Comparing Facebook’s latest product modifications to deadly natural disasters is probably a little bit inappropriate, but the psychological reaction doesn’t seem all that different. The social network modified its policies for handling user data once again as part of its F8 conference and release of the Open Graph API, and ever since it became clear that more information is being set as public by default and more is being shared with third parties, concerned Facebook users have been on jittery alert, perhaps prone to overreaction, concerned that something even bigger may be about to change. (Understanding Facebook’s privacy aftershocks – CNET May 6, 2010 3:51 PM PDT)

Criticism of Facebook (Wikipedia.com)

Four senators are adding their voices to criticism that Facebook Inc. doesn’t do enough to give its 400 million users easier ways to protect their privacy online. (Senators turn up the heat on Facebook privacy issues – SFGATE.com – April 28, 2010)

More links on my blog post, Bye, Bye, Facebook, Bye, Bye… AND ALL OVER THE WEB! Just do a search on facebook privacy issues on any search engine and read it and weep.

When Copyright Goes Bad

When Copyright Goes Bad

Info from the YouTube video page:

A film by Ben Cato Clough and Luke Upchurch.

Suddenly, copyright rules no longer do what they are supposed to do. They have gone bad.

This is a film about how copyright has become one of the most important consumer issues of the digital age; why corporate lobbying risks criminalising the actions of hundreds of thousands of people; and what the future holds for the fight for fairer copyright laws.

When Copyright Goes Bad is an introduction to the renegotiation of copyright and is for anyone interested in how copyright is affecting consumers. It features some of the key players in the copyright debate, including:

Fred Von Lohmann – Electronic Frontier Foundation; Michael Geist – University of Ottawa Law School; Jim Killock – Open Rights Group; and Hank Shocklee – Co-founder of Public Enemy.

For more, visit http://www.A2Knetwork.org/film

Sen. Rockefeller Wants the FCC to Protect the Internet for Consumers

Sen. Rockefeller Wants the FCC to Protect the Internet for Consumers (Youtube video link)

As one of those underserved/unserved rural areas that Sen. Rockefeller talked about in the Youtube video above, I have been talking via email to Congress, the FCC, and anyone else that will listen about reversing the mess that allowed Comcast to win in court. We The People need to be protected and broadband needs to be reclassified as a utility in order to protect We The People.

We just had to up our Verizon Wireless service to meet my business needs a little better (still not as much as we really need but closer) and are now playing $120/mo (plus fees and taxes) to get ONLY 10GB with two USB devices from Verizon Wireless (they did offer 10GB with a single USB device for $199!) — because there are no other options for even pseudo broadband, much less real broadband in our area even for my small business which absolutely needs real broadband.

I have repeatedly over the years, and as recently as a couple weeks ago, talked to; Charter Communications, Cox Business, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, a company that works with Accel (same people who provide secure Internet for the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, MacDonalds, gas stations, etc.) which is too expensive and way too restrictive for our needs — and is still wireless btw and making use of (in our case the same Verizon tower we are currently using) since AT&T doesn’t even serve our area (closest AT&T tower is a 1x/National Broadband tower (not a 3G tower) in Surry Courthouse (Surry County, VA), 8 miles away.

The only other viable alternative for us would be a T1 — which is so far out of our league price was as to be laughable at $450-$600/mo. (with/without equipment). This is totally unworkable for us as a small business owner in our rural area, much less as a home user.

NOTE: Satellite Internet is way too slow and has way too much lag for the real time needs of my business and satellite internet are almost as limited bandwidth wise at 7GB/mo according to the documents for HughesNet. But I couldn’t look seriously at satellite Internet since I have seen the satellite Internet in action at client’s homes and it just wouldn’t work for a small business with our needs, particularly multiple users with decent throughput, as well as realtime needs like streaming, ftp for large amounts of files at a time, working on content management systems online, irc/chat, virtual desktop sharing, video/audio sharing, etc.

And none of the limited/wireless options make it easy to get security updates, and Windows updates for multiple computers in a business setting, or use online storage backup, or even do some pleasurable things like watch even a single hour long show on Hulu or elsewhere once a week. Or, buy and download larger software packages, or download audio books you want to purchase from iTunes, Audible, etc., or buy full music albums, or buy/rent movies from iTunes or Amazon, stream movies from your Netflix account, or wherever you want, or do any number of other normal things that most people don’t have to think twice about on true wired or unlimited wireless broadband even in a home setting.

Don’t get me wrong, Verizon Wireless, does a very nice job of providing a solid connection, with decent speeds over their Wireless 3G/EVDO network, but their pricing and the pricing of all wireless carriers who limit you to 5GB/mo and 25 cents (or any cents for that matter for overage) is ludicrous and eat anyone alive in monthly bills! That is why we had to get another device. We could very easily make use of a third device (to get 15GB/mo), but that would be $180/mo!

See what I mean!?! This is nuts!!!!