Opponents of Va. power plant want more hearings

We've written about Dominion Virginia Power's proposed plant in southwest Virginia before, but the debate over the plant — and coal-fired power plants in general — continues to evolve. Opponents of the $1.8 billion plant want the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to make more time for comments and hearings on it, reports Kathy Still of the Bristol Herald Courier. (H-C photo of plant site)

"According to a news release issued by various groups that comprise Wise Energy Virginia, a group formed to stop the power plant from locating in the region, the DEQ has allowed 45 days for public comment," Still writes. "Feb. 26 is the deadline for comment on the draft air-pollution permit DEQ is considering. The groups are calling for 90 to 120 days for comment."

The group also wants hearings in Richmond, the Tidewater and Northern Virginia. A meeting in Richmond last month drew 819 comments and more than 120 speakers. The plant would be built in far eastern Wise County, near the town of St. Paul. (Read more)