Governor McAuliffe just amended coal ash legislation (Senate Bill 1398) to address a loophole that would have allowed Dominion Power to obtain closure permits for coal ash facilities BEFORE disclosing pollution issues to state agencies.
Under the amended legislation, the earliest Dominion could close these sites is May 2018, which allows time to fully assess the dangers these facilities pose to our clean drinking water and how to best and most safely close them.
This was big. But we still need the legislature to support this amendment when they reconvene in April for SB 1398 to become law – otherwise, Virginians’ clean water is still at risk.
Ensuring stronger coal ash regulations was our biggest legislative fight this year. We’re almost there but we need you to help us get to the finish line.