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.

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…

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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.

Judge rules for the health of Wise County Residents

Judge rules for environmental groups on Virginia power plant!!!!

You can download the decision here: http://wiseenergyforvirginia.org/downloads/Wise%20Decision.pdf

In a momentous victory for clean energy advocates in Virginia, a Richmond Circuit Court judge ruled today that the State Air Pollution Control Board violated federal environmental law in permitting Dominion Power’s coal-fired power plant in Wise County in the southwest corner of the state.

The Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition has raised a host of concerns about the Wise County coal plant over the last several years, including air pollution and the health of the local community, water quality, mountaintop removal coal mining, and the impacts of the plant’s carbon emissions on global warming. Some 42,500 Virginians from across the state signed petitions and sent letters and comments to state and company officials opposing the project.

CALE JAFFE, Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney:
“This is an important victory for the health and welfare of Virginians. Once a coal plant is completed, it may prove very difficult to retrofit after the fact to remedy violations of the Clean Air Act. So this decision is essential for assuring that the Clean Air Act’s most stringent health-based standards will be met before a coal plant is constructed. We hope Dominion will take this ruling as a sign that it needs to leave expensive coal-fired power plants in the past, and move quickly toward developing sustainable, clean energy sources for a 21st century green economy.”

Great job! If power companies will not do what is right by the residents, the courts are there to redress resident grievances.