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Governor Calls Bipartisan Effort to Clean Coal Ash ‘Historic’

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Virginians could see an additional $5 charge on their power bills after Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox and a bipartisan group of legislators announced an agreement Thursday to clean up large ponds of toxic coal ash throughout the state.

The $3 billion plan is to remove coal ash — the residue from power plants — from sites near Virginia’s waterways within 15 years. Democratic Sens. Scott Surovell of Fairfax and Amanda Chase of Chesterfield began the team effort to address the problem three years ago. Chase, Surovell and Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, are sponsoring legislation to close the coal ash sites, clean them up and prohibit further construction.

Surovell’s Senate Bill 1533 specifically targets the ponds in Prince William, Chesterfield  Fluvanna counties and the city of Chesapeake. Dominion Energy, which operated the coal-fired power plants responsible for the ash, would pass along the cost of the cleanup to customers. The company would be required to use local labor and resources when practical to remove the material.

Chase has filed two bills — SB 1009 and SB 1743 — prohibiting coal ash ponds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and requiring the closure of existing ponds. She said she is excited to work with her colleagues to solve this problem.

“Clean water is a bipartisan issue,” Chase said. “If you think of the cost of cancer and compare it to $5 a month, that’s nothing.”

If the legislation becomes law, that amount would begin appearing on Dominion customers’ bills starting in 2021.

Virginia has been storing coal ash in ponds since the 1930s. Dominion Energy’s website states that it has 11 coal ash ponds and six coal ash landfills totaling about 27 million cubic yards of coal ash statewide. The plan requires the power company to recycle a minimum of 7 million tons by the 15-year mark.

In a statement, Dominion Energy representative Dan Genest said the company “supports the comprehensive agreement reached by the Governor, legislative leaders, and members of the General Assembly that accomplishes clean closure, minimizes truck traffic, and prudently manages customer costs for the closing of ash ponds at our power stations.”

Northam described the bipartisan agreement as historic and said the plan is a breakthrough in protecting the people and environment of Virginia.

“Our effort will ensure we are disposing of coal ash in the safest, most environmentally responsible way. As they exist now, we run the risk that they could contaminate the drinking water supply, our tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay,” the governor said. “I think the environmental impact far outweighs those costs.”

Northam said 25 percent of the coal ash must be recycled into concrete, asphalt, or other construction materials. Coal ash that isn’t recycled would be moved to landfills certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or into modern pits at the site of power plants whose lining will prevent contamination.

Democratic Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy lives near the Possum Point Power Station, which has four coal ash ponds, in Prince William County. She said she commends her colleagues, constituents and the power company for compromising on a solution.

“Coal ash is something that’s very personal to me, having Dominion’s coal ash pond in my backyard,” Foy said. “Arsenic, lead and mercury needed to be removed from the community so it would not disturb and have poison in our playgrounds and lead in our water.”

The bills addressing the issue have been referred to the Coal Ash Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor.

By Kathleen Shaw, Capital News Service. Photo via CNS

Debate Around Coal Ash Heats Up As General Assembly Considers Environmental Legislation

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In the wake of debates about the toxic byproducts of coal, local power plants are taking the heat — and local government is taking a stand through legislation.

Coal ash, the toxic byproduct of its namesake energy source, has been at the forefront of recent environmental debates, despite the deep roots of the problem. What historically served as a lifeline of income for people during the early 20th century has cramped the style of modern-day energy gurus such as Dominion Energy.

Chesterfield Power Station, owned by Dominion, stores 15 million tons of coal ash on its property. The close proximity of their coal ash waste ponds to the James River has caused concern from environmental organizations that a severe flooding event could send the ash spilling into the river, according to a recent RVA Mag article.

Coal ash was classified in 2016 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a “significant hazard,” one that could lead to economic loss, environmental damage, and disruption of lifeline facilities in the areas near the coal ash ponds.

The Virginia General Assembly appears to be addressing this “significant hazard” on Dominion Energy’s property through the introduction of a bill that would require the excavation of coal ash stored in the company’s ponds across the state.

Attempting to find a solution, Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) introduced a bill, SB 1533, that would require Dominion to remove 27 million cubic yards of coal ash, recycle and haul the remains to landfills. Although the bill is at an early stage, currently being considered by the Senate Finance Committee, it has already been backed by Gov. Ralph Northam.

Recycled coal ash can be used in a variety of ways — primarily as a substitute for the creation concrete and plaster-like materials.

“The reality of coal ash is that we use it to make products every day,” Surovell told the committee, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “We have this thing sitting in our state that is polluting groundwater, and we can use it to make good Virginia products, create some jobs, and clean up the environment while we’re at it.”

Surovell’s bill would also hold companies like Dominion accountable for the project’s upkeep. The bill requires the owner or operator to submit two annual reports, the bill summary states. The reports would include closure plans, progress, water monitoring results, and beneficial reuse proposals.

The biggest challenge this bill will face is its financing. The project would be paid for by the 2.5 million Dominion ratepayers, which, according to an estimate by State Corporation Commission Deputy Director Patrick Carr, reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, could result in an increase of as much as $3.30 per month on individual customers’ utility bills.

With a short session this year, the pressure will be on to get the bill to pass before mid-February. If little is done to prevent the growth of coal ash within the state, air, water, and ground pollution could become a ordeal, as unlined ash ponds will continue to leach toxic chemicals into the groundwater.

“We can’t allow Dominion to cap 30 million tons of toxic coal ash along the banks of Virginia’s rivers and just leave it there indefinitely,” Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks told RVA Mag. “At some point it will continue to cause more problems, and has already caused documented 30 years of groundwater contamination.”