Today, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released a draft permit for the dewatering of coal ash ponds at the Chesterfield Power Station, as well as to continue water discharges as a result of power generation at the site. The dewatering process is required in order to close the coal ash ponds which hold millions of gallons of wastewater.
We are pleased that the process has begun to close these coal ash ponds. However, we must ensure that the process is protective of the river from start to finish – especially in Chesterfield, where endangered Atlantic sturgeon are found in the river and where Henricus is situated, one of the earliest English settlements in the New World.
You can find more information here.
The PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD is open from June 6, 2016 to July 21, 2016. DEQ accepts comments by hand delivery, e-mail, fax or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester.
CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Name: Joseph Bryan
Address: DEQ – Piedmont Regional Office, 4949-A Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060
Phone: (804) 527-5012
Email: ChesterfieldPowerStationWaterP
Fax: (804) 527-5106
INFORMAL INFORMATIONAL SESSION: DEQ staff will be available to answer questions during an informational session held at the Thomas Dale High School – West Campus, 3900 West Hundred Road, Chester, VA 23831 on June 22, 2016 at 7:00 PM. This meeting is not part of the required public participation process, and comments made during this information session will not be part of the official public comment record.
PUBLIC HEARING: Thomas Dale High School – West Campus, 3900 West Hundred Road, Chester, VA 23831 on July 6, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. Comments made during the public hearing will be a part of the official public record. The State Water Control Board will accept written and oral comments at the public hearing. To make a statement at a public hearing, write your name on a sign-up sheet available before the hearing. You may sign up only for yourself. The time allowed for each statement is set by the hearing officer.
PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING: Staff will be available to answer questions during an informational briefing held at the Thomas Dale High School – West Campus in Chester, Virginia on July 6, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. prior to the public hearing. Questions and comments made during this informational briefing will not be part of the official public record.
Just a few months ago, strong public involvement was critical to ensuring that discharges at the Bremo Power Station are treated to the maximum extent practicable and are protective of human health and aquatic life. Please join us once again as we engage in this process and work towards stronger protections for the James River at the Chesterfield Power Station. Help us spread the word and grow our Action Network – share this message with your friends. We will be sure to share more detailed information as this process unfolds.
Also released today is a draft permit for the dewatering of coal ash ponds into the Elizabeth River at the Chesapeake Energy Center. The PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD is open from June 3, 2016, to July 22, 2016.
CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Name: Melinda Woodruff
Address: DEQ-Tidewater Regional Office, 5636 Southern Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: (757) 518-2174
Email: ChesapeakeEnergyCenterWaterPer
Fax: (757) 518-2009
INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING: DEQ staff will be available to answer questions during an informational briefing prior to the hearing held at the Chesapeake City Council Chamber in Chesapeake, Virginia on July 7, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Questions and comments made during this information briefing will not be part of the official public comment record.
PUBLIC HEARING: The Chesapeake City Council Chamber – 306 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322 on July 7, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Comments made during the public hearing will be a part of the official public record. The State Water Control Board will accept written and oral comments at the public hearing. To make a statement at a public hearing, write your name on a sign-up sheet available before the hearing. You may sign up only for yourself. The time allowed for each statement is set by the hearing officer.