Dominion coal ash plans show failure of DEQ to enforce health-protective standards; Virginians deserve better
In response to reports of a closed-door media briefing held by Dominion Power today, Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement:
“From everything we know, Dominion Power’s plan to go forward with the dumping of toxic coal ash wastewater into the James and Potomac Rivers still fails to adequately protect the health of our rivers and local citizens. Instead of holding Dominion to the highest standards, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, led by David Paylor, issued lax permits that fail to require the use of ‘best available technology’ and allow Dominion to discharge toxins like arsenic at levels that exceed limits set by neighboring North Carolina. Dominion is now clearly trying to save face in response to deep public concern and calls for a federal investigation of its secretive dumping of coal ash wastewater into Quantico Creek in May of 2015.
“Instead of assurances from Dominion, Virginians need regulators setting and enforcing strict standards that safeguard human health. Neither Dominion nor Director Paylor have addressed the real root problem. Dominion wants to simply ‘de-water’ the state’s coal ash ponds and then cap the ponds in place. This allows not only for toxic liquids to be poured into the James, Potomac and other rivers, but leaves the capped pond bottoms with no protective lining, thus allowing toxic leaching to continue into surrounding groundwater for decades. This falls short of the standard being enforced in North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We believe Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Herring must step in to halt these permits, and to hold Dominion to the highest standards under the law. The real solution is to require Dominion to use the best available technology to treat the hazardous liquid, and then to remove the remaining toxic pond solids to modern, lined landfills that are properly equipped to protect against drinking water contamination. Time and again, Dominion has shown that it will do the easiest, cheapest, quickest thing it can get away with. Virginia’s rivers and people deserve better.”
Contact:
Drew Gallagher, 804-896-2654, drew@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. CCAN is building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.
