ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT
What’s next for the court cases challenging Mountain Valley Pipeline?
Although the Mountain Valley Pipeline won fast-tracked approval from Congress last week, environmental groups are still exploring possible legal challenges to prevent it from moving forward. President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which includes a measure that directs federal agencies to approve permits within 21 days for the 303-mile natural gas […]
Virginia air board approves withdrawal from regional carbon market
The State Air Pollution Control Board took its final step to withdraw Virginia from a regional carbon market, sending the action to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office for final action, despite a majority of public commenters continuing to oppose the move. Following a 30-minute closed session to discuss possible litigation against the decision, the board […]
Latest Bay report card: Middling health but signs of progress
ALEXANDRIA — Amid the complicated network of land and waterways spread over six states and the District of Columbia that constitutes the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Virginia and Maryland officials gathered with environmental scientists along the banks of the Potomac River Tuesday to discuss the health of the Chesapeake Bay. “Welcome to Virginia. But a heavy […]
Virginia wetlands protections remain robust despite Supreme Court ruling, say enviro groups
Following a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that narrows environmental protections for wetlands, environmental groups say there will be little change in Virginia because of the state’s strong wetlands regulations. “Theoretically, Virginia has stronger water quality protection than the federal government,” said Peggy Sanner, Virginia director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Under Virginia wetlands […]
Mountain Valley Pipeline approvals OKed as part of debt ceiling deal
The controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline received federal support for completion Thursday after the U.S. Senate approved a debt ceiling deal that includes a provision requiring fast-tracked approvals for the project, despite opposition from some members of Virginia’s congressional delegation. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate sent the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which prevents the […]
New federal tailpipe rules would put stricter limits on Virginia’s heavy truck emissions
As Virginia continues down the road of speeding up the transition from gas-powered passenger vehicles to electric ones, new rules proposed by the federal government could also accelerate electrification of the state’s heavy trucks. This April, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed stricter tailpipe emissions limits for passenger vehicles as well as for heavy trucks. The […]
Appalachian Power to face new regulatory system
Beginning this July, state regulators will review Appalachian Power Company’s rates and earnings every two years, following legislation that significantly changes how the utility is regulated in Virginia. Appalachian Power says it sought the legislation to reduce the impact of fluctuating electric rates on ratepayers and make the process of collecting costs and the profit […]
Virginia bags biggest spring turkey harvest ever
This spring was a good one for Virginia hunters but less so for Virginia turkeys, as the state saw its highest ever spring harvest of the bird beloved by Benjamin Franklin. On Friday, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced that 24,447 turkeys were killed during the 2023 spring turkey season, breaking the previous record […]
Lawyer fees draw scrutiny as Camp Lejeune claims stack up
By Michelle Andrews | KFF Health News David and Adair Keller started their married life together in 1977 at Camp Lejeune, a military training base on the Atlantic Coast in Jacksonville, North Carolina. David was a Marine Corps field artillery officer then, and they lived together on the base for about six months. But that […]
Virginia crab management committee recommends fall, spring catch limit increase
A state committee on crab management is recommending increases to crab catch limits this fall and next spring but keeping in place the summer reductions instituted last year after surveys found the population had plummeted. The newest proposals follow the results of the 2023 Bay-wide Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, which found that the number […]
Dominion seeks to expand rate program designed to shift grid demand
Data centers are knocking on Virginia’s door. Electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent. Both have high needs for electricity. As concerns over the electric grid’s ability to meet those demands increase, Dominion Energy is proposing to expand a program intended to incentivize customers to shift when they use electricity to lessen the load on the […]
The battle for menhaden: corporate greed threatens the Chesapeake Bay
You might know them as bunker or pogies. Landlubbers might not know them at all. Menhaden, a kind of herring that has been called the most important fish in the sea, are a keystone species in the Atlantic, serving both as a critical food source for predatory fish, marine mammals and birds, and as a […]