December 5, 2015
Dominion Proposes to Dump 100 Million Gallons of Contaminated Wastewater Into Quantico Creek and Potomac River
Potomac Riverkeeper Network is gearing up to fight Dominion’s latest effort to avoid cleaning up its coal ash mess at the Possum Point power plant near Quantico, Virginia. The proposed discharge permit revision would enable Dominion to dump 100 million gallons of coal ash waste pond water contaminated with toxic metals directly into Quantico Creek and the Potomac River. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)’s draft permit fails to include any limits on metals from one discharge point, and completely ignores the impact this massive discharge may have on Quantico Creek, a critical spawning area for striped bass and catfish.
TAKE ACTION - Attend The Public Hearing
We need your help! Please come out and support Potomac Riverkeeper Network at a public meeting to oppose this proposed discharge permit revision.
PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT PERMIT
Next Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 7:00PM
Northern Regional Office, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA 22193
TAKE ACTION - Submit Your Own Comment Letter
DEQ will accept written and oral comments at this hearing. To send a comment letter to DEQ in opposition of this proposed permit, please follow the instructions below.
Read Virginia DEQ's draft permit HERE
Read PRKN's concerns about this draft permit HERE
Learn more about the public hearing and how to submit comments HERE
For more information on the public hearing or to learn more about how to submit comments please email in...@prknetwork.org.
DRAFT COMMENT LETTER
Simply cut and paste comment letter below. Please be sure to include name and address at the bottom of your letter and email it to Ms. Susan Mackert at susan....@deq.virginia.gov. Feel free to personalize the letter and please share this email with others.
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Dear Ms. Mackert,
I want to express my opposition to Dominion’s application to the Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) for a permit to drain over 100 millions of gallons of contaminated water from coal ash ponds at the Possum Point Power Station directly into Quantico Creek and the Potomac River. The draft permit would also allow Dominion’s on-going “toe drain” discharge from coal ash pond D to continue, with no limits on metals or requirements to treat contaminated waste water entering Quantico Creek and the Potomac River.
The DEQ has known Dominion's coal ash ponds leak and have been contaminating ground water for decades. Yet your agency recently acknowledged it does not even know the volume of contaminated water draining from the recently discovered toe drain on coal pond D. The long term environmental and potential public health impacts as well as impacts to striped bass and catfish populations have not been property assessed. DEQ’s Special Study for assessing contamination in the Creek will not be completed prior to making a decision on whether to allow the dewatering discharge.
I am concerned that most people in Prince William County and communities downstream are totally unaware of this situation. There are no requirements to inform the public or downstream communities when Dominion will dewater the coal ash ponds, and DEQ doesn’t appear to know how the company will treat contaminated waste water drained from the coal ash ponds.
I do not support Dominion’s plans for "cap-in-place" that allows tons of toxic coal ash to continue to be stored at Possum Point in a pond that will continue to discharge contaminants into Quantico Creek. This toxic ash must be removed from the site and taken to a lined solid waste landfill away from the Potomac River and drinking water supplies. Duke Energy was required to do this at their facilities in the Carolinas; Dominion should be held to the same standard.
I believe the complexity of this issue, and the volume of technical information related to the permit modification, warrant additional time for public review and comment. The draft permit and Fact Sheet are over 300 pages, and the proposed dewatering action has never been undertaken in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Please deny this permit and extend the public comment period 60 days to provide additional time for the public to review the permitting information, attend the public hearing on December 8, and have the time available following the hearing to obtain additional information from DEQ to inform public comments.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
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