For Immediate Release:
Friday, Feb. 15, 2019
Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – Today, the House of Delegates voted 93-2 in support of Senate Bill 1355, which will require Dominion Energy to clean up the 28 million tons of toxic coal ash waste stored at four power plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Senate on Thursday passed the identical House Bill 2786 in a vote of 38-2.
In response to today’s final passage of SB 1355, Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, offered the following statement:
“Today’s vote is a huge victory for clean water. After years of debate and study, lawmakers came up with a final coal ash solution that protects our water from heavy metals and carcinogens and ensures we no longer have to live with a toxic threat on the banks of our rivers.
We sincerely thank the patrons of this legislation – Senators Scott Surovell, who has championed this issue year after year at the General Assembly, Rosalyn Dance, Amanda Chase and Frank Wagner, and Delegates Jennifer Carroll Foy, Riley Ingram, Terry Kilgore, Tony Wilt and Danny Marshall – for their leadership in addressing one of Virginia’s largest and most complex environmental issues.
This type of bipartisan, landmark legislation is rare and shows that despite political differences, Virginia lawmakers can still come together to do the right thing for the commonwealth’s environment, public health, and wellbeing.”
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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