Surry Co. coal-fired power plant debate

SURRY COUNTY, Va. - On a plot of land in Dendron, off of Route 31 in Surry County, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative officials want to build the largest coal-fire power plant in Virginia.  If you drive through the Dendron area, the debate over the Cypress Creek Power Plant is clear.

"I think it's not in our best interest," says Betsy Shepard who lives in the town.

"This coal plant right here is the best thing going on right here," says Louis Homes.

Homes is renovating the new potential office for ODEC's power plant.

"It's going to bring the revenue up and it's going to be quite a few jobs needed to make the plant successful," says Homes.

ODEC officials say the construction of the plant could create as many as 2,000 jobs.  If the plant opens they say 200 - 220 full time jobs could be created, but Betsy Shepard says potential jobs don't mean much to her if her family's quality of life is possibly threatened.

"I think that we are really gambling with some heavy metals and known toxins and the risks far outweigh the benefits."

Sharing Shepard's concern is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  Foundation President William Baker says a study using ODEC's own information shows high levels of mercury and other pollutants hitting the air and landing in waterways if the plant is built.

"These waters are at risk to receive more pollution at a time when everyone seems to agree we need to reduce the levels of pollution. 1,300 miles of Virginia Rivers and 40,000 acres of Virginia's lakes are already contaminated and we're talking about adding an additional permitted source of pollution," says Baker.

ODEC spokesman, Jeb Hockman, challenges the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's findings.

"This plant will be state of the art as far as any admission controls. It will be well within any regulations and requirements, local, state and federal," says Hockman.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation officials suggest renewable energy as an environmentally friendly solution to Virginia's power needs and while ODEC does have renewable energy resources, Hockman says the coal-fired plant is the best option for the Commonwealth.

"You can't reach the energy needs of Virginia by conservation and renewables alone."

Homes says all he wants is for residents to fully understand the magnitude of this decision.

"Everybody should at least come to the meetings and find out firsthand for themselves, right, instead of going by what everybody is telling them," says Homes.

Department of Environmental Quality officials say they're waiting until ODEC gives them more information before beginning the process to approve or deny the power plant proposal.  If approved, Hockman says 2016 or 2017 is the target date to begin generating energy from the Dendron site.

We'll continue to follow this developing story for you.