Joe:
I saw the letter to the editor in the Dominion Post this weekend.
For better or worse, the permit approved for Longview is unlikely to be directly affected by the Bonanza ruling, as it applied only to new permits, i.e., those that were not yet issued in final form. Since Longview has a final permit (issued in 2004), they would not be affected unless their current permit is in some way ruled invalid.
The Bonanza ruling could have an indirect effect in that it is my understanding that Longview still does not have all the money they need to complete construction of the plant. The Bonanza ruling makes it clear that all coal-fired power plants will eventually come under some type of cap-and-trade rule or carbon tax, which will make it much more difficult for them to get their money. My guess is that efforts focused on WV-DEP will not be particularly useful, whereas a focus on the financial institutions on Wall Street may have some impact. Unfortunately, I have no clue how to go about that.
There are still a couple regulatory issues to be debated. In addition to the acid rain permit, there is currently a lot of debate before the PSC on Longview's proposal to revise their water treatment and disposal plans. This has taken on a high visibility as water quality in the Monongahela River has been adversely affected by a combination of low water flows and discharges of acid mine water, gas well brines, or both.
I suggest that letters to the editor on the water quality issues may be quite useful, as this issue hits home to local political leaders. I will forward a copy of the most recent reports and briefs on this issue.
Jim Kotcon
"Joseph A. Gorman" joe.madpj7@gmail.com 11/24/2008 12:27 AM >>>
Hello,
First, I'd like to introduce myself. My name's Joe Gorman, and I'm a WVU student and community coordinator with the WVU Sierra Student Coalition. Lately the WVU SSC has been doing mostly advocacy campaigns, but we'd like to be involved in more local events.
I wanted to ask for expert advice on what influence the Bonanza ruling has on Longview. It is my understanding that most new permits nationwide will get clogged in the pipeline. Here are the concerns I have: 1. Doesn't the WV DEP operate independently (and, often, defiant) to the US EPA? How direct is the ruling's impact in this state? 2. All but the acid rain permit have been stamped by the DEP, correct? So, how do we insist the DEP requires a permit for CO2 emissions as well? I saw the section on the new CO2 ruling in the comment letter, but will the DEP see them as relevant the way we do?
-Joe
p.s. I submitted an editorial to the Dominion Post, and they called me to notify me they were going to publish it. Unfortunately, I am out of town until classes resume next Monday. If anyone has a copy of the paper, would you mind saving it for me for sentimental value?
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