Testimony by John Clayton member Jan Newton
at the public comment hearing
about the Dominion Power's Air Pollution Permit request
needed to build the Wise County coal-fired power plant
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – Air Quality Control Board’s Public Hearing (Feb. 19, 2008) on the
Wise County power plant’s draft air pollution permit
Comments prepared by Jan Newton, Williamsburg, VA
Hello, my name is Jan Newton and I reside in Williamsburg, James City County.
Building and operating the Wise County coal-fired power plant will increase pollution, increase health problems, add to global warming and, in some cases, fatally harm wildlife habitats and endangered and rare species. I am here today to stress that Virginia does NOT need this dirty form of energy.
Dirty fuel, pollution, and global warming
Air-borne pollution from coal-fired power plants (sulfur dioxide/acid rain, nitrous oxide, and mercury) travels up to 600 miles from its source. So not only are the residents of Wise County at risk for health and environmental problems, but so am I, my family and my fellow residents of James City County, which is 410 miles from the proposed site. The proposed Wise County coal plant calls itself a “clean- coal power plant,” and yes, it may be cleaner than many coal-fired power plants of the past, but it will still emit more than 5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, adding significantly to global warming. In fact the Project Description for this Environmental Permit listed on the Public Notices states, “This facility will be classified as a major source of pollution…” Carbon capture and sequestration technology has yet to be proven, so in the mean time, we all suffer the consequences of large amounts of CO2 and other air-borne pollution being released into the air. Furthermore, not only is the burning of coal the single largest contributor to global warming, but the trees that will be deforested to mine the coal will not be there to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Plant and habitat destruction
Another concern is the threat that this proposed power plant would have on the environment in Southwestern Virginia. This area of the Southern Appalachians is particularly vulnerable—as one of only six regions in the country that contain unusually rich, biological diversity as well as the homes of numerous rare and threatened species.
The ecosystems in the Clinch, Holston, and Powell watersheds which run through Wise County are of particular concern. These rivers harbor more at-risk fish and mussel species than any other river in the nation, as well as the highest concentration of imperiled species in the mainland United States. Coal mining and burning would endanger and, in some cases, destroy these wildlife habitats and the species that live in and around them.
Virginia does not need this added pollution nor the destruction from the building and operating of this coal-fired power plant.
Energy efficiency, conservation and renewable, clean energy
I urge you NOT to grant this air pollution permit with regards to the Wise County coal-fired power plant. We need to reduce the CO2 emissions to help reverse global warming and this needs to be done now if we are to make a difference. We need to put our money into clean, renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation. If we put our efforts into energy efficiency and conservation alone, we won’t even need a new power plant and can save money as well. We owe it to ourselves, our children and our grandchildren to take care of the wonderful mountains, rivers, streams, forests, plant and animal life, and PEOPLE of this fine state, not destroy them by burning dirty coal and causing more health problems, pollution, and expenses.
We must THINK GREEN, ACT GREEN and CLEAN UP our environment for our lives and the lives of generations to come. We must NOT allow any more dirty, pollution-causing coal-plants to be built.
Thank you for the chance to voice my opinion.
For more information about mountaintop removal and the hazards of burning coal visit these web sites:
http://www.williamsburgclimate.org