For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018
Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – Today, the Northam Administration announced it had reached an agreement requiring inclusion of the “Historic Pond” at Chesapeake Energy Center in any future regulatory solutions to Virginia’s toxic coal ash problem.
For years, this site has been polluting the adjacent Elizabeth River with arsenic and other known pollutants. It is also the coal ash site in Virginia most susceptible to rising sea levels and extreme weather events, making proper cleanup a necessity to protect public health and safety.
Dominion Energy’s legacy of coal ash pollution is large and widespread in Virginia – we’ve seen a documented history of contamination at each site where they store this material – but, unfortunately, our electric utility monopoly has not yet floated a safe option to clean up their mess.
In response to today’s news, Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“Virginia’s coal ash problem is one of the biggest environmental threats we face, and today’s action from Governor Northam sends a clear signal that this administration takes this issue seriously and wants to see a long-term solution that protects our water and public health. With a moratorium expiring in July that prevents Dominion from doing the bare minimum to clean up these sites, now is the time for action. We look forward to working with the legislature and this administration to secure a final solution that gets this toxic waste away from our riverbanks and protects clean water and adjacent communities in the long-term.”
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
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