Mercury protections needed in Virginia
Richmond Times-Dispatch, OpED, Donald McEachin
This OpEd focuses on mercury pollution in VA waterways sourced from coal-fired power plants and the need for federal mercury regulations. EPA should be coming out with a finalized mercury rule at the end of this week.
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Dominion plans 56 mile transmission line for Peninsula
Dailypress
Dominion is planning a new transmission line from Newport News to Charles city county, which will require a 25ft wide by 56 mile long swath of land to be cleared mostly in wooded areas. The proposed project will be up for public comment and discussion at a series of meetings for next month.
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Virginia moves ahead with coalfields expressway and route 58 road projects
Virginia Business
Gov McDonnell News Release Coalfields Expressway
Governor McDonnell announced that the VDOT reached agreement with Alpha Natural Resources to advance the Coalfields Expressway highway project. The funding arrangement for the project is authorized under the Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA), which allows VDOT to partner with the private sector. The first section of ‘rough grade road bed’ for the expressway was completed with Alpha Funding this past July.
Sierra Club report on Gov McDonnell’s transportation plan
Below is an excerpt from the Sierra Club transportation report about the coalfields expressway:

Building the Coalfields Expressway in Southwest Virginia, a 55-mile long four-lane roadway whose only purpose appears to be to help Virginia’s coal industry avoid state coal mining permitting and conduct massively destructive mountain-top removal operations. Costs are estimated from $2.6 to $4.7 billion through 2022, the state’s contribution unknown or unavailable.

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Green groups pan new solar energy fees
Daily Progress
The Virginia state corporation commission approved a fee, called a standby charge of $4.19 per kilowatt per month for Dominion customers who generate 10-20 kilowatts of electricity, up to $60 per month for a 20 kw system. Renewable energy proponents are critical of the monthly fee because it may be discouraging for DVP customers to invest in renewable energy solutions, such as solar panels, for their homes and businesses.
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NASA confirms sharp decline in pollution from US coal plants
Medical Daily
A NASA satellite confirmed a 40 percent decline in sulfur dioxide levels since 2005 from coal plants in the Eastern United States. NASA’s scientists attribute the SO2 reductions to the Clean Air Interstate Rule passed by the EPA in 2005 that limited utilities’ sulfur dioxide emissions.
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Mine owner to pay $209 million in West VA mine explosion
The New York Times
Alpha Natural Resources agreed to pay over $200 million, making the Upper Big Branch mine explosion the largest settlement in a government investigation of a mine disaster. However, families of victims are not likely to see justice served in terms of seeing criminal charges (beyond a misdemeanor) for Massey officials involved in the explosion due to weak mine safety laws in place. Some industry observers feel that the settlement will not do anything to influence the industry to improve safety unless significant penalties are put into place for violations, especially repeated violations, and that these penalties must affect the company’s bottomline. Beyond compensation for the families of victims, the settlement will go towards improving safety at Alpha (formerly Massey) underground mines, a foundation for mine safety and payment of outstanding Massey MSHA fines.