President Donald Trump's administration's proposed rollbacks to federal clean water regulations would strip some wetlands, as well as headwater streams, in Virginia of federal protections and leave them vulnerable to pollution and real estate development, a report says.The new rules would redefine which "waters of the U.S." are protected...
A coalition of environmental groups sued the federal government today over its decision late last month to permit seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean, a potential precursor to oil drilling."This extremely loud and dangerous process, which is used to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean’s...
Today's much-anticipated meeting of the State Air Pollution Control Board, which saw two members replaced by Gov. Ralph Northam as it weighed a crucial permit for a compressor station that is part of Dominion Energy's Atlantic Coast Pipeline, has been postponed because of the snow.The Virginia Department of Environmental...
Virginia's most politically contentious fishery — Omega Protein's Reedville menhaden reduction operation — is up for a Marine Stewardship Council certification, which recognizes sustainable fishing practices, but an environmental group argues that the recommendation is misplaced.Omega Protein harvests thousands of tons a year of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay,...
Two contentious Virginia pipeline projects hit more snags Friday, with Dominion Energy voluntarily agreeing to stop construction on its Atlantic Coast Pipeline after another permit was vacated and the separate Mountain Valley Pipeline smacked with a state lawsuit over environmental violations.Attorney General Mark Herring and the Department of Environmental...
The State Corporation Commission, which regulates Virginia utilities, has shot down for the first time ever a long-range plan filed yearly by Dominion Energy and intended to outline how the company will meet its electric service obligations."The commission finds, based on the record of this proceeding and applicable statutes,...
Last year, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation giving utilities the green light to develop 5,000 megawatts of wind and solar energy. This marks a milestone for Virginia, offering the possibility for an amount of solar equal in output to Dominion Energy’s newest gas-fired power plant in Greensville.Dominion projects...
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay in Richmond received a $1 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to speed up a plan meant to reduce stormwater pollution in Richmond's waterways and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay.The grant funds the Green Infrastructure Master Plan, which focuses "on identifying...
Can Gov. Ralph Northam's decision to yank two members off the State Air Pollution Control Board as it weighs a permit for the compressor station Dominion Energy plans for Buckingham County be seen as anything other than what it appears to be: a clumsy attempt to tip the scale...
Agriculture is the largest private industry in Virginia, making a $70 billion economic impact annually, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.There are more than 44,000 farmers in the commonwealth and the top crops include soybeans, corn and tobacco.Of those Virginia farmers, 1,865 are African American — about 4...
