Power Plant Push Back

The company hoping to put in the new coal fired power plant at Cypress Creek in Virginia, Old Dominion Electrical Cooperative, fired it's counter volley in the war of press releases.  Responding to claims that the new power plant would lead to 26 premature deaths and $200 million dollars in health care costs annually it said:

“The report is inaccurate and misleading, and grossly misrepresents the potential environmental and public health impact of the Cypress Creek Power Station facility ODEC is proposing to build in Surry County, Virginia,” said David Hudgins, director of member and external relations for ODEC in a statement issued Tuesday.

“Simply put, if the impacts of Cypress Creek are as severe as the CBF report concludes, the DEQ and EPA would not issue an air permit for the facility. This simple fact demonstrates how unreliable and unrealistic the CBF report is,” he said.

But they have a point. To become licensed they will have to abide by all existing state and federal pollution standards.  Are those standards adequate to protect health?  Who was the last person you know who got sick from a power plant?  New power plants have more advanced anti-pollution than the older one.  You'd be better off with two new coal-fired power plants replacing one older one.

Of course, I'd be much happier if they were proposing a nuclear plant.  I even put my life, as well as my money,  where my mouth is by living within 3 miles of one (not to mention it's my favorite fishing hole).

Where do they think the electricity for their plug-in hybrid cars is going to come from?