Old Dominion Electric Cooperative wants to build the largest coal plant in Virginia in the Hampton Roads region. On Monday, Nov. 23rd, the Surry County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on whether to grant local zoning approval for this controversial plant and allow ODEC to amend the Comprehensive Plans of Surry County and the Town of Dendron. This is a crucial time to speak out against this monstrosity of a coal plant and to maintain control of the direction of our communities!

The proposed plant, located only a few miles from one of the Commonwealth’s greatest treasures, the Chesapeake Bay, would poison surrounding waterways with 116 pounds of mercury per year. The plant would create nearly 60 tons of poisonous coal ash a day, to be stored in Surry County, and would increase the demand for coal extracted using mountaintop removal mining. In addition, it would add nearly 15 million tons of global warming pollution to our air every year.

Please plan to attend this critical meeting on Monday, Nov. 23 starting at 7:00pm at the Surry County Government Center, 45 School St. in Surry, VA. Visit the Wise Energy for Virginia site for more information.

A 14th forged letter from lobbying firm Bonner & Associates was released as part of House Chairman Markey’s (D-MA) investigation in the scandal today. This letter, purporting to be from a local American Legion chapter in Virginia, echoed the same anti-clean energy language found in previous letters forged from groups like the NAACP, a local Hispanic group and Senior Centers and sent to several members of the House of Representatives. Bonner & Associates, who has admitted that a since-fired temporary employee was responsible for the letters, was at the time working on behalf of a contractor hired by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director:
“Despite the coal industry’s ACCCE and Bonner & Associates denouncing these actions and firmly placing blame elsewhere, this newly surfaced letter again reminds us of how dirty politics can get when aimed at defeating clean energy legislation that would benefit all Americans.

“Big Oil and Coal continue to spend millions of dollars opposing any legislation that would bring the U.S. into a clean energy future, create jobs and fight global warming. From lobbyists forging letters to the US Chamber of Commerce calling for a mock trial of science–this lowest of discourse, the misrepresentation of facts, of communities, and of America’s heroes must end.

“In fact, veterans stood up today on Capitol Hill, at the White House and on the airwaves speaking in favor of clean energy as a way to make America more secure.

“Last week the AAUW, National Wildlife Federation, NAACP, Center for American Progress Action Fund and Sierra Club joined forces to help average citizens blow the whistle on deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal tactics being perpetrated by big polluters and their lobbyists to strike down clean energy innovation. The tip line (866-363-4648) launched last Thursday.

“Yesterday, just a week after the nation’s third largest utility, Duke Energy announced it was of the terminating its membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, French giant Alstom power today followed suit. The company, which makes pollution control technologies for coal plants, cited “questions that have been raised about ACCCE’s support for climate legislation” as the reason for leaving.

“And today the Sierra Club will be delivering over a petition of over 30,000 signatures to the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, asking those companies to denounce the Chamber’s attacks on the clean energy jobs bill and the science of global warming, or resign from the group.

“We cannot let our clean energy economy be sacrificed to extreme coal interests that have only their bottom line, not the best interests of the American people, at heart. We need a clean energy jobs bill that benefits everyone, not just coal. We hope that other companies who consider the public interest part of their mission will resign from or at least condemn groups like ACCCE and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for their efforts to kill clean energy jobs.”

Video by ILoveMountains.org. From Glen Besa, Virginia Chapter Director, Sierra Club:

We need your help!

Will you take a few minutes right now to contact Governor Kaine and urge him to use his executive authority to allow community voices to be heard and to STOP the mountaintop removal strip mining that will destroy Ison Rock Ridge in Wise County, Va?

Ison Rock Ridge extends from Black Mountain on the Virginia/ Kentucky border and runs southeast toward the Town of Appalachia. A&G Coal Corp. wants to destroy 1,200+ acres of this mountain that borders several communities and hundreds of homes, putting lives at risk and impairing ecosystems for generations to come. Despite federal action intended to block this proposed mine, we have reason to believe that state agencies still intend to allow the destruction of Ison Rock Ridge, with only minor changes to the scope of the permit.

With the deadline looming, we need your help to call on Governor Kaine to be a real leader and urge him to allow community voices to be heard and to STOP the mine.

This message is going out across the Commonwealth today and is part of a coordinated effort to pressure the Governor to take action. Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and our allies are working hard on this two-year long struggle to protect Ison Rock Ridge from total destruction.

Ison Rock is the last ridge of Black Mountain in Virginia that hasn’t been totally decimated by mountaintop removal strip mining–and for good reason. Along its flanks lie several communities, home to hundreds of people. Because of this, and the cumulative impact of other strip mines in the area, the EPA took action earlier this year by directing the US Army Corps of Engineers to suspend the federal permit required to create valley fills.

This action attracted national media attention, but it’s not enough to save this mountain. The mining company now wants to go forward with a revised mining plan, and that application is currently pending before the state agency.

Please, send a message to Governor Kaine urging him to take action to protect our friends in Wise County!

This is very disturbing news and certainly something to consider as we in Hampton Roads consider adding pollutants from the massive Surry coal plant to our already deteriorating air quality mix.

The Surry coal plant will add 950 tons of nitrogen pollution, 118 pounds of mercury pollution and 14.6 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution to the air above our Hampton Roads area every year. This is the equivalent of adding nearly 3 million new cars to the road every single year in terms of increased air pollution levels.

Click here to learn more about what you can do to help us fight the Surry coal plant.

If you live in/near Virginia Beach, please consider joining the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee at their breakfast meeting this Saturday, July 25, 9:00am at Mom’s Kitchen, 3501 Holland Road. Speaking on the subject of the Surry coal plant will be Dr. Christine Llewellyn from the Williamsburg Climate Action Network.

Take Action on Coal Ash TODAY!

At the coal industry’s bidding, U.S. Senators Brownback and Conrad are trying to put pressure on the EPA to reject federally enforceable coal ash disposal standards - undermining the EPA’s authority to ensure that coal companies cannot continue to put communities in danger with toxic coal fly ash.

Let Senators Webb and Warner know that you oppose any effort compelling the EPA to give up necessary, federally enforceable standards for coal ash pollution.

Tell them about local problems with coal ash with which you may be familiar such as in SW Virginia, Chesapeake and York County.

It is unconscionable that, in the wake of the tragic Tennessee coal ash disaster late last year, King Coal lobbyists are pushing for relaxed federal “guidelines” that would treat coal ash like household trash, rather than the hazardous pollution it is.

If King Coal lobbyists get their way, communities close to these toxic coal ash sites will be left vulnerable to arsenic, mercury, selenium, and other coal toxins, and they will continue to face a very high, 1 in 50, risk of cancer.

Ask Senators Webb and Warner to reject Brownback and Conrad’s sign on letter that seeks to take away the EPA’s authority to enforce regulation to clean up coal.

Click here to get started: http://action.sierraclub.org/bigpicture_coalash

You can also call Senator Webb at 202-224-4024 and Senator Warner at 202-224-2023.

By weakening the EPA on this issue, the coal industry is not only trying to preserve the status quo with regards to coal ash, but also to challenge the EPA’s ability to take action on any piece of a Big Picture plan to create a clean energy economy.

It’s time that we protect the communities close to these sites; it’s time that we demand safe, clean energy, and it is time that we authorize the EPA to ensure we get both. Please send a message to your Senator’s today.

Thanks for all that you do. (Crossposted at ArticleXI.com)