Hundreds of Northern Virginians gathered at a town hall meeting last night to discuss the antiquated use of coal in Virginia and the opportunities provided by a clean energy future. The public forum, which drew an estimated 200 people, focused on the connection between two coal-fired power plants in Virginia — the Mirant Plant in Alexandria and the proposed Dominion power plant in Wise County — and mountaintop removal coal mining.
“Burning fossil fuels is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and burning coal is about the worst thing we can do,” said Congressman Jim Moran. “With 50 percent of our electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, it will take a realistic but focused and determined effort to reduce greenhouse emissions from coal-fired plants and increase the use of cleaner, alternative sources of energy.”
At a time when states from Kansas to Texas are rejecting permits to build new coal plants, speakers tonight argued that building a new coal-fired power plant, as Dominion Virginia Power is proposing to do in SW Virginia, would put Virginia behind the curve when it comes to investing in renewable energy.
“We are all Virginians, even those in southwest Virginia, said Kathy Selvage, a Wise County resident who spoke at the forum. “The proposed Wise County plant will spew 25 million pounds of pollutants into our air each year. While Gov. Kaine and Dominion tell us that this plant will be good for the economy, they have not taken into account the increased need for health care, or those components that are truly priceless like the preservation of the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the fish we eat.”
Speakers at the town hall meeting also argued passionately against the local Mirant plant in Alexandria, which was closed in August 2005 due to air pollution violations, but was reopened one month later despite still exceeding national air quality standards.
“Particle pollution from the coal burning Mirant plant has impacted the Alexandria community for decades,” said Mike Town, Virginia Chapter Director of the Sierra Club. “A recent study showed that health costs due to premature mortality in the vicinity of the plant alone are about $33 million per year. Now is the time to either clean up the plant or shut it down and move on to cleaner energy sources”
The public forum emphasized the opportunities associated with switching to clean energy. Attendees were encouraged to write letters in support of the Clean Energy Future Act, a bill introduced by Chap Petersen that will mandate that Virginia gets 20% of its energy from clean sources like wind and solar, and that it reduces its total electricity usage by 10%. The bill also encourages the creation of “green-collar” jobs.
“Virginians tonight demonstrated that they are ready to take their future into their own hands,” said Josh Tulkin, Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “They left tonight equipped and ready to oppose dirty energy plans in the commonwealth, and fight for a clean energy future.”
The Town Hall meeting was sponsored by: The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, The Sierra Club, NOTICe, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, GWIPL, VIPL, PDA, VALCV Green Sanctuary Task Force of Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Environmental Impact Club.
