(Photo credit: Virginian-Pilot. Crossposted at VB Dems.)
As David Campbell reported yesterday, water testing done in areas around a Chesapeake golf course sculpted from 1.5 million tons of Dominion's fly ash have shown elevated levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants. City officials informed the area residents of that Thursday and were yesterday asking the EPA for a "preliminary site assessment", a first step, as the Virginian-Pilot reports, toward potentially being declared a Superfund site.
"If contamination is discovered in homeowners' water, which comes from wells, the city will look for what Hallman called 'responsible parties' to foot the bill for any costly public utilties upgrades. Those parties could include Dominion Virginia Power and the original developers of the golf course, CPM Virginia LLC, he said."
And this is rich. Chesapeake's City Attorney Ron Hallman is already throwing up his hands saying the "city has done nothing wrong in the process.". He's pointing the finger squarely at Dominion and Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality.
When a Dominion Virginia Power representative came in front of the city asking for approval, Hallman said, the company provided officials with a report that gave a "clean bill of health" to fly ash, a residue left from the burning of coal for electricity."We've relied in good faith on Dominion Power, who has assured us it was safe, on DEQ, who has assured us it was safe, and others."
Dominion and the course's original developers long have maintained that the fly ash used on the course was treated to prevent contaminants from leaching. With tests on the golf club's wells showing high levels of arsenic and lead, Hallman said, he now has doubts about the information originally presented by Dominion.
Dominion officials had little to say Friday about the recent test results.
Imagine that!!! Dominion lies?!? You're kidding me!?
More questions than answers, writes David. You have to wonder about Dominion's influence over DEQ in writing the type of regulation that would have allowed this application of fly ash. Dominion had to get rid of the nasty stuff and paying a golf course to take it was probably cheaper than having to deposit it in a land fill. And then you have to wonder about the dirty golf course and how in 2007 it got itself sold to a third owner who just so happens to be Thelma Drake's son. From the Virginian-Pilot:
"The project took off in early 2007 with a third acquisition of the property - by a Norfolk-based LLC managed by J. Mark Sawyers, son of U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake. Sawyers' company bought the property from Wallace's company for $700,000, about $500,000 less than the assessed value of the property, city real estate records show...The same month Sawyers' company acquired the golf course - January 2007 - it was granted a tax break from the city."
Shady dealings, indeed! Too bad it had to get to the point where residents' health was jeopardized. So when it comes to the power plant in Wise County... are we going to continue to just trust Dominion, DEQ and some of our electeds? What's the saying... fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on who again?
Dominion: We relied in good faith on the City of Chesapeake and DEQ. We've done nothing wrong.
DEQ: We relied in good faith on the City of Chesapeake and Dominion Power. We've done nothing wrong.
Thelma's son: We relied on the City of Chesapeake, DEQ, and Dominion Power. We've done nothing wrong.
Thelma/Randy: Look! Over there! Terrorists! Don't cut and run! Stay the course! Commander in Chief!
And only Cowboy Carawan spoke against it!
Who's looking out for public health and safety in red, red Chesapeake? Where's the personal responsibility these Republicans love to harp about?
The VA voting public elect their candidates but once in Richmond, the "heavy hand"..(nothing invisible about it), of well monied corporate interests seem to direct the agenda. Is it possible for elected officials and candidates to take the "no Dominion" challenge- to not accept money from them or any corporation that has business before the legislature or at least LIMIT the amount received by corporations??! Corporations are represented by shareholders many who do not reside in the state of Virginia. An action (or inaction) that is taken in the interest of a corporation (and its shareholders) may not be in the best interest of the VA citizen/voter.