Sumer Shaikh, sumer.shaikh@sierraclub.org, 774-545-0128
RICHMOND, Virginia - Today, the Senate of Virginia voted to pass Senate Bill 1355 by a vote of 38-2, taking an important step towards permanently dealing with the legacy of toxic coal ash in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay watershed. On January 24, Governor Ralph Northam, Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox, and a bipartisan group of legislators announced a historic agreement to clean up Virginia's coal ash in Chesapeake City and the counties of Prince William, Chesterfield, and Fluvanna.
SB1355 requires Dominion to excavate the toxic material and either recycle it or place it in lined landfills. Today, Dominion Energy Virginia stores nearly 30 million tons of coal ash in leaking pits on the banks of the Elizabeth, James and Potomac rivers. The coal ash pits at all four of these Dominion sites – Chesapeake, Chesterfield, Bremo and Possum Point – are leaching toxic pollutants into the groundwater, which in turn flow directly into Virginia’s iconic rivers and the groundwater of local communities.
The bill prohibits “cap-in-place”, a hazardous non-solution in which current pits would be topped with dirt and left to leak into Virginia waterways, at all four sites and requires at least 25 percent of ash from at least two sites be recycled. In recognition of the threat coal ash poses to water, SB1355 also requires Dominion Energy, who owns all sites closed by the bill, to offer municipal water hookups or water testing to nearby residents, in addition to biennial reporting on progress, plans and water quality. Furthermore, the plan protects labor by prioritizing local workers and supporting local manufacturing through recycling of coal ash.
In response, Kate Addleson, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, stated:
Today’s vote is a victory for Virginia waterways and the communities they serve. By championing stronger, smarter ways to clean up toxic coal ash, we have protected our historic rivers which serve as important sources of drinking water, recreation and aquaculture for so many Virginians.
This bill, as it was passed by the Senate, deals with some of the consequences of our dirty fossil fuel past and protects our local communities. The bill should be adopted by the House of Delegates and signed into law by the Governor.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.