This 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-some of them preposterous, but most were reasoned and impassioned arguments from the people who live here and who will be affected by the decision that will be made.
Jobs and economic necessity drove most of the arguments in favor of the plant. Many of these people believe that this plant will create 100s of jobs in this community. Dominion's PR machine has really done a good job-someone actually said that it would create thousands of jobs, a number that even the best-bought politicians haven't said. If not jobs, then supporters asked that the Air Board follow the rules, and insisted (as if to make true by repetition) "this plant will be the cleanest in the nation." I thought I got the most honest answer when I asked a guy why he supported the plant, "I work for Dominion," he said.
The "environmentalists" got attacked from all sides. I don't want to indulge in all the negative attention, but these are some doozies:
"Environmentalists are filled with hatred for capitalism, industry and progress."
"The opposition to this plant is lacking in compassion and is unpatriotic."
Dominion has tried to create a false choice between the environment and jobs. When I talked to supporters and asked how they felt about mountain top removal mining, they basically said that it was a fact of life; it was just going to happen. When asked about climate change, they either diverted the question by blaming emissions from China and India, or just said climate change was unavoidable. There can be economic opportunity and clean energy, but Dominion's PR power and the long history of King Coal is working against us.
Ultimately, this was a huge victory. We outnumbered them by nearly 2-1. In procedural decision, the Air Board inadvertently allowed us to show our strength in numbers. They decided to trade back and forth between opponents and proponents to avoid the appearance of bias. So that meant that from about 3 pm on, the floor was given exclusively to opponents. Dominion had exhausted its supply of supporters-supporters who had been almost exclusively white, male and often stood to benefit financially from the plant. Opponents were as diverse as mothers and fathers to doctors, lawyers, teachers, young, elderly, and more.
We had bigger numbers and our arguments were better. The mercury pollutants alone would put the plant in violation of the Clean Air Act. The permit had originally allowed for 72 lbs of mercury, a neurotoxin known to cause autism in children, when the Clean Air Act allows 1 lb. Because of the pressure from the grassroots, Dominion has lowered its mercury emissions limit several times, prompting one opponent to state, "Pretty soon ice cream is going to start coming out of those smoke stacks" (Pete Ramey, the awesome President of Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards).
Biologists and ecologists explained the threat of pollution to biodiversity of the region. Mothers rose to make a plea for clean air and mountains for their children and grandchildren. Lawyers explained the intricacy of the legal problems with the plant. Many residents sounded the alarm for the environmental impacts-not just from the pollution from the plant, but from the destruction of the mountain top removal mining, the noise and pollution from the coal trucks and transport of the coal, and from the destruction of their rivers, streams and water supply.
These people are making a clarion call for investments in clean energy-"It's time for some fresh air and sunshine. Let's invest in some wind and solar" (Kathy Selvage, another awesome leader from the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards).
Dominion did have one advantage: while we were eating pizza, they had a catered meal that included ice cream and cheesecake. Thankfully, Susan, the caterer, didn't demand that we switch sides to enjoy her food. Those of us who were willing to risk the bee's nest of the Dominion lunch room were able to enjoy some great deserts. Thank you Susan!
Tomorrow we're going to be back in the hearing room to listen to the Air Board's decision. Stay tuned for more!
[Dana] Kilgore cited a Virginia Tech study that Wise County's economy would enjoy a 20 percent, $439 million annual boost once the plant is operational, and the facility will provide an opportunity for the region to be a leader in the development and testing of new clean coal technologies. The Virginia Tech study also predicts an annual tax revenue boost for the county and St. Paul between $4 million and $7 million. http://www.timesnews.net/artic...
Who is funding the research, I wonder?
http://www.energy.vt.edu/spons...
http://www.energy.vt.edu/secar...
Does someone know how we can establish if it's true that Dominion is actually funding the research that supports this plant?
"I hope the board recognizes our delegation is very united on this permit in front of you," Phillips said. "We're united because we believe this permit complies with every intent and aspect of the law."Now, I'm not here to lecture you or tell this board its job, but we all know the board is set up to implement the laws of the commonwealth of Virginia," he added.
Phillips urged the board to take a stand instead of making a statement.
"Make a decision tomorrow," he said. "Vote it up or down. Then give us your reasons for your doing so. Then we can determine whether the letter of the law has been followed in this procedure."
Phillips was the first in a parade of elected officials addressing the board during the first hour of public comment.
"I encourage you to look strongly at permitting this power plant and do it in the manner of following the law," Del. Bill Bolling said.
"I encourage you to act in compliance with the law," Sen. Phillip Puckett of Tazewell said in a letter read by Del. Terry Kilgore of Gate City.
"We have the opportunity to set standards with this permit where Virginia will be the leader in clean coal technology," Kilgore said shortly thereafter. "I'm all for conservation, green power and windmills, but we have to meet Virginia's energy needs and we need to do it while adhering to the rule of law."
Local officials from Wise, Russell and Dickenson counties were also on hand supporting the plant.
They'll feel poorer than they ever did before.