If amended bill passes, coal ash closure process at Possum Point could slow

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe amended a bill that would give more time to communities facing the possibility of a cap-in-place closure of a coal ash pond.

Bill SB1398 by State Senator Scott Surrovell (D-Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford) placed a one-year moratorium on the permitting of coal ash ponds int the state. This would give residents and elected leaders in Prince William County more time to evaluate whether or not a plan to close by capping a coal ash pond at the Possum Point Power Station near Dumfries is feasible and environmentally sound.

Before making it to the governor’s desk, the General Assembly stripped the moratorium provision from the bill. The bill, which addresses the closure of coal ash ponds across the state, will go back to the Senate on April 5 where it will again be voted on with the governor’s amendments. If it passes, it heads back to the House of Delegates.

“This is a problem that states across the U.S. are trying to solve in their own ways: what to do about these coal ash ponds,” said Surrovell.

He hopes the General Assembly passes the bill with the amendments because that will give residents and Dominion Power, the agency which owns Possum Point and is pushing for cap and closure of the 4 million gallon coal ash pond, time to “take a deep breath” and evaluate all options.

The ash pond at Possum Point is full of toxic fly ash, the byproduct of producing electricity at Possum Point from 1947 to 2003 before the plant converted to gas. Dominion maintains it wants to cap in place the pond instead of dredging the ash from the bottom and hauling it to a landfill by truck, barge, or railroad.

Surrovell’s legislation also requires Dominion to produce a final feasibility study noting how the clay-lined pond built in 1989, and synthetic cap that will be used to hold the water and coal ash in place after the pond is closed would withstand the test of time, and the potential for the pond to leak, potentially leaching thousands of deadly toxins into the ground and well water supply. The report might also detail how the pond would hold up in a natural disaster, like an earthquake similar to the one the rocked the region in 2011.

Environmentalists like Surrovell and Dean Naujoks at the Potomac River Keeper Network have pushed also pushed Dominion to explore removing the coal ash, and then selling it to manufacturers use in products like railroad ties.

“We have been consistent in saying that we are working to develop closure plans specifically designed for each site that is protective of the environment and fully compliant. Our plans are continuing to evolve. We look forward to sharing the results of the assessment with the environmental professionals at [Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality]. We were pleased to work on this legislation with Senator Surovell during the session,” stated Dominion spokesman Rob Richardson.

In the meantime, Dominion will continue to treat water at the Possum Point Power Station as it works to consolidate five coal ash ponds into the one. The utility has applied for a permit that would allow for the cap in place closure of the pond. The utility will also continue to address concerns of those who live near the plant.

Earlier this month, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors also urged Dominion to support a mortarium on the cap in place, asking for more time to review closure options available for the pond. Richardson said the utility had not taken a position on the Supervisors’ request.

Opponents of the cap-in-place plan are optimistic.

‘This is a victory for clean water — Governor McAuliffe deserves credit for responding to the widespread public concern about the public health impacts of coal ash in their communities. We’re hopeful that Virginia legislators will do the same — the people of Virginia deserve a solution that protects their drinking water, their property values and the Potomac River” Naujoks. “It took bi-partisan support to get us here, and that will need to continue for these precautions to remain intact through the vote.”