During my first visit to St. Paul, Virginia the scenery and the views from the winding road that runs through town were the things to remember. This summer, however, there was something new: the skeleton of an enormous power plant. Dominion Virginia Power is building a
coal-burning power plant that will earn about $5 million in tax revenues each year, and will net about $300 million for the economy overall. In such an underprivileged area many would say "go for it, we need the money." Opposition to the project, however, is based on the fact that the project is ecologically dangerous. People are specifically worried about the pollution to the air and water in the area. The plant would release enormous amounts of smog and mercury into the air, and the fly-ash waste has the potential to pollute the Cinch River, a source of drinking water for many in the area. Many of the streams and rivers have already been polluted by mountain-top removal- a coal mining process that involves removing trees and shrubs from the top of a mountain, then using a series of explosives to make coal streams more accessible. In the process, however, pollutants get into the water making entire rivers and streams unusable for drinking water.
Due to the fact that they intend to use coal from Virginia, the number of mountaintop removal sites is likely to increase once the plant opens. However, according to many people in the area, they were under the impression that the coal was being imported from other states such as nearby Tennessee and Kentucky. Though many are against the project, it is hard for some to deny that the plant wont have it's benefits. According to
Mid-Atlantic Construction the plant will produce enough energy for 146,000 homes. The plant will also provide jobs for a number of people.
Is the power plant good, bad, or a little bit of both?
