ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT
State sues Fones Cliffs golf course developer over violations; adjacent land to be preserved
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the State Water Control Board have filed a lawsuit against the developer of a luxury golf course in Richmond County for repeat environmental violations after DEQ referred the case to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s office. The Virginia True Corporation cleared 13.5 acres of forested land near Fones Cliffs […]
Shadow of Hurricane Florence hangs over legislative meeting on Dominion’s plans for coal ash sites
When Hurricane Florence slammed into North Carolina in September, some of the state’s coal ash ponds breached and overflowed into nearby rivers and lakes. Now Virginia lawmakers are citing the hurricane — and the threat of another coming up the East Coast — as a reason to act now and require Dominion Energy to excavate […]
A serial air polluter in Hopewell gets two more violations from DEQ
A chemical plant in Hopewell has violated air pollution rules twice in the past year, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, adding to a long history of violations. AdvanSix, formerly Honeywell, is one of the world’s largest producers of caprolactam, according to the company’s website, which is used to manufacture synthetic fibers like nylon […]
Report takes a dim view of Dominion’s grid ‘transformation’
A report released by a new California nonprofit that advises on modernizing electric systems takes a generally dim view of Dominion Energy’s plans to upgrade Virginia’s grid under the expansive and expensive regulatory overhaul the utility pushed through the General Assembly this year: the Grid Transformation and Security Act. “Grid modernization offers many potential benefits […]
Mountain Valley Pipeline loses permission to cross Virginia waterways
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended a permit allowing the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross hundreds of Virginia streams and wetlands, The Roanoke Times reports. The action comes three days after a similar permit for West Virginia water crossings was vacated by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Advocates are calling for […]
Virginia sees surge in West Nile virus
So far this year there have been 38 cases of West Nile virus in Virginia, a new record for the state. On average, Virginia reports only about nine cases per year, according to the Department of Health. The cases have been spotted in 17 health districts across the state, with Fairfax seeing the most at […]
Northam’s new ‘Conservation Cabinet’ aims to coordinate environmental protection across state agencies but probably won’t tackle pipelines
Gov. Ralph Northam announced the creation of a “Governor’s Conservation Cabinet” Thursday intended to better protect the state’s natural resources and improve environmental quality. But there’s one thing that the group likely won’t deal with: the two major pipeline projects that have become the most contentious environmental issues in Virginia. “I think that we have […]
Northam’s energy plan met with acclaim, but how much will it push the envelope?
Gov. Ralph Northam put out his administration’s energy plan Tuesday, a non-binding planning document that lays out a vision for the next decade of energy policy in Virginia. But it was met with some effusive praise by environmental groups and renewable energy and energy-efficiency interests. “This plan represents the first time in Virginia history a […]
Court vacates U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline
The latest big pipeline decision out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond strips the Mountain Valley Pipeline of its federal authority to cross waterways in West Virginia, and opponents contend, should halt work along the entire 300-mile route from West Virginia to Pittsylvania County. “Because the MVP’s certificate from […]
Developer’s environmental violations at historic Richmond County cliffs referred to attorney general
Environmental violations at the site of a planned luxury golf course development, where illegally cleared land has caused the culturally, biologically and historically significant Fones Cliffs above the Rappahannock River to erode, have been referred to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for enforcement. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality spokeswoman Ann Regn confirmed Thursday that the […]
Will Virginia be late to the offshore wind party?
Nearly 200 government leaders, academics, and business people packed the Virginia Offshore Wind Executive Summit in Norfolk last week to stake their claims in the launch of Virginia’s newest industry. “The offshore wind market is exploding,” said Liz Burdock, executive director of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, in her opening remarks. If this sounds […]
‘It’s not right:’ Cumberland residents say planned landfill will disturb historic school, possible burial grounds
CUMBERLAND — Just inside the front door of the 100-year-old Pine Grove School in Cumberland County’s small Cartersville community, the soft wood underfoot groans and gives under Muriel Branch’s steps. “I walked three and a half miles to get here, each way, each day,” says Branch, sweeping her gaze around the one-room schoolhouse where she […]