Not surprisingly, another state permitting body has caved in to the requests of big coal.
On Tuesday, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission unanimously approved a Virginia permit for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to undertake tests in the James River for its proposed $6 billion coal-fired power plant in Surry County.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative would like to decide what kind of metal screen would best be used in a pipeline. The pipeline would carry millions of gallons of cooling water every day from the James to the proposed Cypress Creek Power Station.
Residents and environmentalists are justifiably opposed to these experiments, arguing that the tests may inflict impairment on marine life.
Proponents of the experiments will argue that Virginia needs power from coal for the time being and that these experiments will help power Virginia for some time to come.
But it is unclear that Virginia requires a new coal-fired power plant. This unquestioned position seems more like dogma than it does a conclusion based upon scientific evidence. And unfortunately, a lot of precious wildlife is being harmed in the process.
When it comes to new coal-fired power plants in Virginia, the time for compromise is over. They adversely affect human health, ecosystem integrity, and they divert our attention and money away from renewable sources of energy.
Virginia needs its political leaders and its private citizens to finally stand up and say, no more! |
