Bay group wants proposed plant reviewed

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Chesapeake Bay Foundation says air pollution from a proposed coal-fired power plant in Virginia would worsen the bay's poor health.

Joseph Tannery, the foundation's Virginia deputy director, said Friday the Environmental Protection Agency should be directly involved in a review of the proposed plant's environmental impact.

The foundation also asked the Army Corps of Engineers to hold more public hearings on the plant.

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative wants to build the 1,500 megawatt plant in Surry County. The Glen Dale-based cooperative has said it needs a new plant to meet an estimated doubling of energy demand in the next two decades.

The cooperative generates, buys and transmits power for 12 community utilities in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.