The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has added a second public hearing and extended its public comment period for Dominion Power’s controversial proposed coal-fired power plant in Wise County. In January C-VILLE reported on the State Corporation Commission’s public hearing on the Wise County plant, a hearing that lasted more than 11 hours and brought a large contingent of plant opponents to Richmond.
The second public hearing is scheduled for February 19 in Richmond. The original hearing will be February 11 in Wise County. The public comment period, during which citizens can send written comments to the DEQ concerning the power plant, has been extended to by 15 days to March 12.
 John Cruickshank, the chair of the local Sierra Club, was one of scores of speakers who cautioned the State Corporation Commission against approving a coal power plant in Wise County. |
On February 1, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) announced that an anti-Wise plant coalition comprised of the SELC, Appalachian Voices, the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network will begin running radio ads in Southwest Virginia disputing Dominion’s claims that the Wise plant would burn “clean” coal. In December, Charlottesville’s City Council passed a resolution opposing the Wise plant.
Previous "This Just In" articles from this week:
The game is on [February 1]
Alabama church steps up for Rutherford’s NFL lawsuit
New job tolls for Bell? [January 31]
Washington Post tabs Rob Bell as possible Attorney General candidate
Going global [January 30]
UVA’s Darden in top 100 business schools…in the world!
Virginia population boom surrounds Charlottesville [January 29]
Fluvanna, Orange and Louisa see highest increase
