Report: Proposed coal-fired plant in Surry County would pollute bay

The coal-burning power plant proposed for Surry County would release significant, and illegal, amounts of mercury and other pollutants, according to a new report.

The report, to be released today, was commissioned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an environmental group.

Officials at the Henrico County-based Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which is proposing the plant, said yesterday that they were reviewing the report and could not comment in detail.

But ODEC strongly opposed the notion that the plant's emissions would be illegal.

"The application for this proposed facility is subject to the most rigorous review" by state and federal agencies, ODEC said in a statement.

The bay and numerous tributaries, including much of the James River, already are polluted. The bay group said adding more contamination, from the plant's air emissions, to those waters would violate the federal Clean Water Act.

The group also said it makes no sense to add pollution to the bay watershed when federal and state governments are searching for ways to restore the Chesapeake.

"Sanctioning another new pollution source . . . not only is illogical but illegal," said William C. Baker, president of the bay group.

ODEC is proposing to build the 1,500-megawatt power plant about 60 miles southeast of Richmond. It would cost up to $5 billion.

Early estimates suggest that each year, the plant would release nearly 3,100 tons of nitrogen oxides -- nitrogen is the main pollutant harming the bay -- and perhaps 100 to 200 pounds of mercury, which is highly toxic to people and wildlife.

According to the report, that would translate into 118 tons of nitrogen -- comparable to the amount from a large sewage-treatment plant -- and 15 to 26 pounds of mercury falling on the bay watershed each year.

Small amounts of mercury can cause major problems in waterways, experts say.

"Mercury concentrates at the top of the food chain, in fish, birds and people," College of William and Mary biologist Dan Cristol said in a statement provided by the bay group.

The report was prepared by H. Andrew Gray, a private air-pollution specialist in San Rafael, Calif. The group paid $20,000 for the report.

ODEC says it needs the plant to serve a growing demand for electricity.

The bay group says that demand could be met through energy conservation and alternative sources such as wind and solar power. ODEC says those measures are good but won't do enough to meet the demand.

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or .