Ask not for whom the gavel pounds, Dominion, it pounds for thee

Wow, on the very same day Dominion announces it has begun construction on its freshly approved coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Virginia, a Georgia Court strikes down an air pollution permit for a 1200mw coal plant Early County, Georgia, effectively halting construction. When you look at the rationale for the ruling you can’t help but sense a bit of dramatic foreshadowing.

Chief among several administrative grounds for the Court’s reversal was the fact that the Georgia permit failed to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, which, according to the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, is an air pollutant to be regulated. Dominion should be fine then, no? Their CO2 emissions are regulated, right? Oh wait.

The Virginia Air Board’s permit for the Wise County plant doesn’t even address the plant’s 5.4 million tons of CO2 emissions per year (the equivalent of 1 million new cars on the road). While it’s possible that the judge from Georgia could turn out to be a kook (pretty unlikely), this ruling looks like it might be the ghost of litigation future for Dominion.

There’s more.

The Georgia court also found that the plant did not meet the standards for a “major emitting facility” mandated by the Clean Air Act in that the proposed plant did not use the best available control technology, which in this case was integrated gasification combined cycle technology (IGCC). Guess what other coal-fired power plant doesn’t utilize IGCC technology? Ouch. Seriously, Dominion must have read this decision and doubled the size of their legal department.

It may turn out that because Dominion is burning refuse coal and some biomass that the Virginia court will find that their technology is the best available. It’s also possible that the court will take a long look at IGCC technology and say to Dominion “Um, this is better than what you were going to build. You need new permits. See you in 5 years.”

And even if the Virginia court finds that Dominion is using OK technology, the unregulated CO2 emissions are a serious hitch. Massachuestts v. EPA is pretty unambiguous in classifying CO2 as a pollutant meriting regulation. This ain’t over, Dominion.

Dispatches from Wise County, Part 3

Pete RameyThis week I’m going to be in Wise County, where Dominion Power is planning to build a $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant. Members of the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and CCAN are putting on events around the meeting of the Air Board on Tuesday.

Today was the final day of the Air Board Hearing concerning the Wise County coal plant. The room was full of hope after yesterday’s comment period, and the board acknowledged the powerful citizen outcry over the plant’s health and environmental impacts. But ultimately, they unanimously approved the plant. While they significantly strengthened the emissions regulations, they did nothing to address mountain top removal mining or CO2 emissions.

They went as far as they could, without doing more harm than good. Fearing litigation from Dominion, they made no strong statement about regulating CO2 Continue reading

Dispatches from Wise County, Part 2

mtrThis week I’m going to be in Wise County, where Dominion Power is planning to build a $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant. Members of the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and CCAN are putting on events around the meeting of the Air Board on Tuesday.

Today I attended the first day of the hearing of the Air Pollution Control Board. As appropriate to hearings, all the arguments were vetted today

Dispatches from Wise County, Part 1

appalachiaThis week I’m going to be in Wise County, where Dominion Power is planning to build a $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant. Members of the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and CCAN are putting on events around the meeting of the Air Board on Tuesday.

There’s been a lot of talk about the old ways here in Appalachia. Today is the first day of my trip to Wise County to see what we’re fighting for, to get to know the people who are fighting in this community to stop this plant and to attend tomorrow’s Air Board meeting, where they will decide whether or not to grant Dominion’s final permit.

We started the day by helping the Clinch Coalition build a trail in Jefferson National Forest. The forest is a glorious example of the Appalachian eco-diversity. Hickory, Red Oak and Beech gave way to rhododendron and hemlock. Hemlock is rare these days because of a small beetle, the woolly adelgid, which has infested large numbers of hemlock stands in Virginia. But these hemlock were free from infestation, as was the forest in general. There are few invasive species there, even though the roads and more populated trails have numerous examples of invasives like kudzu. The rhododendrons were still in bloom, and as we looked out over the vista of mountains and deep forest, the scars from mountain top removal mining were clearly in view.

A quarter of this county has been destroyed by mountain top removal mining. We visited black mountain with Larry Bush, whose family has been living there for generations, and we witnessed the intense scarring that mountain top removal mining cuts into this landscape. Miles of land, where a mountain once stood, was leveled, barren and destroyed. Continue reading

Senator Jim Webb stands up to Dominion on behalf of the little guy

Senator Jim Webb
Senator Jim Webb displayed his strong leadership and courageous approach to politics this morning. He wrote a formal letter to the SCC opposing Dominion’s proposed rate hikes, saying “In this time of economic uncertainty, an increase in energy costs could compel individuals and families to choose between putting food on their table and paying their energy bill.”

As a Vice-President prospect, this is a heartening development. Sen. Webb is willing to take on one of the most powerful energy corporations in his own state. Dominion’s influence in Virginia politics is systemic, including as a top donor to Governor Kaine. That former boxer, Sen. Webb, is willing to wade into the fray and challenge Dominion’s power is a testament to his commitment to social justice.

With $4 gas prices squeezing rural US, Virginians are faced with rising gas prices on one side and higher electricity costs on the other; oil and coal are rapidly becoming energy sources of the past. Why should Virginians, who are willing to start moving toward cleaner energy, shell out money to support Dominion’s addiction to dirty energy? Dominion needs to start moving toward cleaner energy, create opportunities for green jobs, and make investments in energy efficiency. By starting to make investments in clean energy, not coal, Dominion has the potential of creating over 336,000 of good, local, green jobs that will help move Virginia’s economy into the future.
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Last Chance to Stop Dominion's permits

weekend in wiseCCAN and our partners are organizing a couple days of activities on June 23-24 in Wise County around the next Air Board meeting. Folks from all across Virginia will be coming down to show their support for clean air in Wise County and to testify against Dominion’s proposed coal-burning plant. This is HUGE. It’s the final permit between Dominion and their no-good, dirty scoundrel of a coal-fired power plant.

The power is in the hands of the bureaucracy right now. As a citizen’s board, the Air Board has the power to reject Dominion’s permit and stop construction. They could also stall on the permit because the board is not currently at full capacity

Six Words to Stop Dominion Power

Last Thursday, May 8th, the coalition of forces that have been working tirelessly for months had their moment to really stick it to Dominion. We unfurled a mile-long petition, listened to great speakers and great music, and delivered over 42,000 name of Virginians that don’t want a new coal plant to Dominion… But you have heard this story, so I have no intention to reiterate it, per se. Rather, I would like to try to sum it all up in six words: Virginians to Dominion, No New Coal!

Why six words? Because according to minds that may or may not be greater than mine — anything can be said in six words (see, I just finished up that sentence with a six word statement!!!).

What are your words for Dominion?

  • I petitioned for months, it rocked!

  • Coal kills mountains, causes global warming.

  • Never mind the coal, I’ll conserve

  • Eighteen percent rate hike? Screw you!

  • What ever happened to Virginia’s democracy?

  • Didn’t coal used to cost less?

  • I want to finally breathe free.

  • New Coal? Over my dead body.

Rally at Dominion TOMORROW!

rallyTomorrow, May 8, citizens of Southwest Virginia will deliver the Mile-Long Petition for Clean Energy opposing the proposed Wise County coal plant to Dominion Virginia Power’s Richmond headquarters.

YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND TO HELP US MAKE A STRONG SHOWING! This will be an opportunity to show the strength of our opposition to the plant, build our network of plant opponents, and highlight the issue for the media and the public. It will also be a chance to celebrate the great progress we are making in this fight!

WHAT: Rally for Clean Energy

WHEN: Thursday, May 8th at 12:30 PM

WHERE: Kanawha Plaza in Downtown Richmond (Between Canal and Eighth Sts. Midtown)

RSVP: www.chesapeakeclimate.org/may8

TRANSPORTATION: Free transportation from Southwest, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, and Northern Virginia will be provided. For details on free transportation, e-mail mike@appvoices.org or call 434-293-6373. There is also a ride board set up at http://distance.erideshare.com/, password “may8”

We will hear from speakers who envision an energy future that places the public interest over corporate special interests, including people who live with the reality of severe pollution and mountaintop removal in their communities. This celebration of our strength will also include music from gifted Virginia artists Trees on Fire and Whiskey Rebellion. Religious leaders who have joined the fight against the plant will speak to the moral imperative that our policies reflect caring for the earth and its inhabitants. You should consider bringing sun protection, drinking water, and a blanket.

Dominion Keeps Trying to Sell VA Healthy Cigarettes

Surge ProtectorDominion Virginia Power is at it again. It ran a full-page page ad in the Washington Post yesterday, apparently forgetting all about a key ruling in March by the State Corporation Commission (SCC), the agency that oversees utilities.

Take a look at Dominion’s first bullet point describing how it plans to provide new electrical generation to Virginia:

[Among the important parts of this plan are:] A new clean-coal, carbon capture-compatible power station in Wise County where we’ll spend nearly $320 million to install the very latest in emissions-control systems. It’ll be one of the cleanest coal-powered stations in the U.S. and bring more than 1,200 jobs and $1.8 billion of new investment to Southwest Virginia.

Really? Carbon capture compatible? On July 13, 2007, Dominion Power applied to the State Corporation Commission for approval of a coal-fired power plant in Wise County it promised would be “carbon capture compatible.” On March 31st, the SCC approved construction of a “conventional coal” facility and did not give Dominion any bonus for carbon capture compatibility. Rather, the Commission was explicitly clear – of the $1.8 billion to build the plant, not one penny would go to address the plant’s global warming pollution, either now or at any time in the future.

Now let’s talk about “clean” coal. First, the term clean coal in general is a joke. Calling coal clean is like calling a cigarette healthy; the cigarette may have less tar and cancer-causing agents than other brands, but that does not mean it’s good for you. Same goes for coal: No matter what you do to it, it will never be clean. Continue reading