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"'No coal is clean coal,' opponents of Surry plant declare" is the headline in today's Virginian-Pilot, in which almost every dirty detail involved with the "$6 billion coal-fired energy plant that Old Dominion Electric Cooperative wants to put on 1,400 acres in the center of the tiny Surry County town, about 18 miles from Williamsburg" is fleshed out.
"Dr. Christine Llewellyn of Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital said the plant could cause more asthma attacks, chronic bronchitis, and other ailments for residents living nearby."
"The coal, brought in from the mountains, would be harvested by blowing up mountains, [Glen] Besa [Virginia director of the Sierra Club] said. Emissions from the power plant would wind up in waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay, he said.
"Coal for energy generates more carbon dioxide, and mercury in the waters is largely from coal-fired power plants," [Besa] said."
"Peter DeFur, an environmental scientist who works with the American Lung Association, said the plant would increase train and truck traffic in the village and that heavy metals from the plant, like arsenic and nickel, would never go away."
Today's Virginian-Pilot also editorializes on the Democratic gubernatorial candidates' positions as it involves the Surry coal plant:
Despite his sweeping proposals, McAuliffe has been conspicuous in his squishiness on some of the most pressing environmental issues facing Virginia. He has failed to take a position on a proposed coal plant in Surry County that would pollute the Chesapeake Bay and James River and damage air quality for residents in Hampton Roads and Richmond.
Rounding out the foursome is Brian Moran, who has carved out the most vividly green and aggressive environmental positions of the campaign. Moran is the only candidate to commit to fighting the Surry plant. He's also the lone opponent of drilling for either natural gas or oil off Virginia Beach. He's pledged to make progress on wind energy development, but he's realistic about the need to strengthen Virginia's nuclear energy capacity, critical to providing power for a growing state while the infrastructure is put in place for renewable sources.
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"'No coal is clean coal,' opponents of Surry plant declare" is the headline in 
