13 arrested in Richmond protests over new power plant

That’s a good start, Chris. I commend you. I don’t like coal-fired power plants any more that anyone else. However, reality says that society needs it. The EPA has established the emissions standards these coal-fire plants must follow. I believe that is a reasonable start to the reduction of this type of plant. But they won’t be completely eradicated since the demand for power is so great. I still say nuclear is far better.
I am a conservationist which is vastly different from environmentalist. A conservationist realizes that we need our natural resources to survive, but also demands the responsible use and replenishment of those natural resources. A true environmentalist demands that all of society eradicate the use of natural resources. I believe we can responsibly, as individuals, conserve the energy we use on a daily basis, and take measures to be smart about our energy usage.

Well what not to do for a start. Don't blow up our drinking water sources for the next 10,000 years. Invest a 10th into solar, wind, tidal, geo-thermal that we have given to the oil and coal industry. Actually do the basic science before you blow up a mountain--to at least properly mitigate the damage. This is the most frustrating part--state agencies handing out permits like a crack dealer on the corner while refusing to do the basic science on cummulative impacts. Institute real conservation measures like TVA used to have (and they worked--TVA's own cost benefit analysis showed that when they did this it was the most effective program in their history). We only get a paragraph so I am afraid I can go any further. But at the least--stop poisoning our air and blowing up our sources of drinking water seems prudent to put it politely.

Ok so everyone can concede that we will always need more power as the State grows. Just because people don't want to go along with one idea doesn't mean they don't acknowledge that fact. It also doesn't mean there is only one way to more power. Coal is dirty, nasty, and poison to all within a 30 mile radius of the plant. With the two plants in Hampton roads area, over 2.5 million people are exposed every day. Maybe that’s why so many writing here, have no sympathy for people of Wise County. There are alternatives; wind power farms- a modern wind turbine can produce enough electricity for 750 homes. The state should give some tax breaks for property owners to install alternative energy equipment. That would go a long way to decreasing the amount of power generation we need. Other States are exploring all kinds of alternatives. Why are messing with Coal power plants? Where are we in China!!!

Chris Irwin and Danawv, any suggestions to fix our energy dilemma? All I hear from you and those who choose to disrupt commerce are “we can’t do this or we can’t do that”. Alright, the floor is yours. Give us your brilliant ideas that will provide for the common good of every man, woman, and child in this state and country.

... on Richmond golf courses this time. Considering how well Iraq went, we need to get that Iran invasion thing going soon. Maybe dumping $12 billion a month into Iraq to the tune of $3 trillion to prop up their fledgling Iranian-friendly gubmint would be money better spent on infrastructure and alternative fuels research back here in the USofA. Tough call.

These kids, mostly young women, are fighting their future. If that plant is built, a lot more harm will be done than 2 hours of blocked traffic, which is all they did. Nothing that the construction crews up the road weren't doing.

“It seems to me that young people, especially, should be doing whatever is necessary to block construction of dirty coal-fired power plants.” From James Hansen, NASA scientist

“I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants.” From Al Gore

This plant is a total boondoggle. $1.8 billion for a plant that can't capture carbon and is only 585 MW? There is a project in WV to build a 440 MW Wind Farm for less than $1 Billion. Now that is a sensible use of our electric bills and state money.

3. Last--we are blowing up our highland watersheds for a few years of coal. Destroying watersheds that would produce clean drinking water for 10,000 more years if left alone for a few years of short term power is stupid to put it nicely. Its insane when you see the surrounding counties having regional drought commission meetings. You cannot drink coal.

These brave people are AMERICANS standing up to injustice and power. What they did took guts and courage and if more real Americans like this were alive our troops wouldn't being used as cannon fodder for corporate profits in Iraq right now. Jefferson, Paine, Franklin would all recognize what these brave people did.

This is what being an American is all about. This is what our country was founded on. People putting their bodies on the line for what they believe in.

Some quick points.

1. Nuclear power is not safe. Where do we put the waste? Where I live has/had the most ambitious nuclear power program in the country--it put TVA over 29 billion in debt and leaked radioactive water into the rivers and steam into the air on almost a daily basis. It got so bad that the Watts Bar nuclear power plant used to have an 800 number to call to find out what the leak of the day was. Plus the tiny fact of waste that is radioactive, toxic and corrosive for over 80,000 years that we have no idea what to do with.

2. Coal is cutting edge 18th century technology. The pollution is literally killing us. Here in Knoxville we are #1 in childrens asthma--if you want your children to have asthma bring them to Knoxville. Its because of TVA's coal fired plants. We are also the headquarters for TVA.
Just one of TVA's coal fired plants puts over 6 MILLION pounds of chemicals into our air a year. Over 3 MILLION pounds of that is HYDROCHLORIC ACID. Breath that fresh mountain air.

3. Last--we are blowing up our

These college students are trying to prevent more mountaintop removal coal mining in Virginia, and reduce air and water pollution for the people in Wise County. Remember the three year old boy, Jeremy Davidson in Appalachia, VA who was crushed by a boulder from a mountaintop removal mine in 2005? Those of you who are so harsh in your comments - what did you do when you read about that tragedy? Most of these students (my friends) live very simply, using little electricity, no air conditioning, riding bikes instead of driving and they try to set a good example for others by taking action on their beliefs, even risking arrest and large fines. Kind of like Dr Martin Luther King. By the way, these are the top student leaders at their colleges, smart, funny, committed, quality people. America would be a lot better off if we had more people like them instead of the cynical old people who have posted the c

Does anyone have a mutual Fund? Why do you buy a fund that has multiple companies? So that if one goes under or does not produce the others will.
What is wrong with using every source of energy available to us while making improvements as they come to us. Just like our dependance on oil we are victims of just one source failing our expectations.

If you rely on one source you will be disappointed. Don't ignore the possibility of another source of energy. Cultivate it until it matures to something we can use or add to our supply line.

Instead of insulting what you don't understand be part of the solution and encourage our nations growth in the right direction. The direction of energy independance is our goal.

Open your minds please

Daddy!! DADDY!! Daddy!!

Pay attention to me!! Please Daddy, Pay attention to me!!

Daddy!!
Daddy!!

I am a conservative and here is my response.
Every time anyone comes up with a solution there are howls, scoffs, and bemoaning at the idea from some radical group.

I personally like the idea of nuclear energy. We have come a long way over the last 4 or 5 decades regarding nuclear safety. It's cleaner and it produces a lot more power than conventional coal-fire plants.
But the anti-nucs will go into a tizzy and the left side of the libs will prevent that from happening.

Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, requires far more input to generate enough output to power metro areas like Hampton Roads. And they require constant natural power. If it's a cloudy day or calm wind - no power.

While coal-fire is not the answer for long term, it may provide short term relief. Conservation by each individual is the key in bringing down the energy prices.

Thank God that these students are still naive enough to believe they can make a difference against big business and apathy of the older generation.
I bet most of you who are knocking them didn't even know that they were building another coal power plant. Virginia Power has a poor record with regard to their coal plants by the way. They were sued and settled on April 21, 2003 the largest Clean Air Act settlement of an enforcement matter against a utility. They agreed to spend 1.2 billion to clean up the 6 plants in Virginia (they now have 9).In addition to providing for major pollution reductions, VEPCO agreed to pay a $5.3 million civil penalty and spend at least $13.9 million for projects in each of the five states that participated in the case and its settlement to offset the impact of past emissions. Still think Virginia Power is saving money and is responsible to its share holders. Maybe you sh

Sounds like a bargain, retiredguy. Last time I checked it was $9/kW.

I love the solar/wind crowd. They spout their rhetoric, yet have no idea what it takes to install these systems and how they operate.

Wind is completely impractical in this area because we don't get enough of it. Solar is only good when the sun is shining, otherwise, your back in the 19th century. Both systems require enormous battery arrays to be operational 24/7. I also suggest you look at things like the waste products created from these systems when they are produced; even more toxic than the newest coal-fired plants.

I have to say, I would like to have seen their hands in solid concrete...

A series of photo voltaic cells producing 4,500 watts, will set you back $24,000 plus installation, wiring, etc. You will also need an area 20 feet by 20 feet in full sun for the cells. To put 4,500 watts of electrical energy in perspective, my dual element electric hot water heater draws 4,500 watts when the elements are activated.

If you don't mind showering in cold water, doing without your electric stove, and doing without air conditioning, you can probably survive quite well with 4,500 watts of available power. I wonder if the protesters all live that frugally, or are they hypocrites when it comes to their personal comfort?

Personally, I think the authorities should have let the concrete in the 55 gallon barrel harden to test the resolve of the four protesters while living with their hands encased in concrete. I wonder if they had designated wipers?

By the way, lots of luck on getting a lo

if every time we had a story on one of these protesters that a story about their own personal actions was written. e.g. these protesters are pro environment - what is their electric and other energy use, what kind of car do they have, etc.

I think their hypocrisy would be very evident. If they are truly environmentalists, they would shun all of mankind's technological progress.

I would like to see more "conservative" comments about this issue.

I'm not sure which is worse: the Ostriches or the Chicken Littles. Given a choice, I won't stick my head in the sand.

And what's with the whining, people? They are building it. Stop crying over polluted milk.

But moving forward, please don't turn the Commonwealth into another Hampton Roads--it's an embarrassment. We don't need more power plants in Wise to support 2 am spotlights at the oceanfront.

First of all, shame on the newspaper calling them activist in an attempt to legitimize them and their way. They are just protesters, nothing more! As the population base grows so does the need for an energy supply, duh , to the protesters. Have you taken time to calculate the decrease in emissions since your factories and office towers are closing, duh, to the protesters Excellent job by the local law enforcement in clear a problem. As the expression goes’” would the last person leaving please turn the lights out”. In your case not to worry they wont even be on.

I used to thing that deformaties, mutations and such were exaggerations of environmentalist nuts until I saw it first hand. I'm not saying we shouldn't build a power plant I'm just wondering is it fair to the folks in Wise county and the surrounding areas to have -another- power plant? Perhaps we should share the suffering a bit across the state and put it elsewhere

It's a tough spot to be in with the rolling brown outs our state has been experiencing and the number of folks desperately protesting the solution: A new power plant. I would however like to bring to the table something to mull over. The location of the new coal power plant is Wise county which is not that far from Cleveland, VA where there is already a power plant. I would also like to make a note from personal observation. My boyfriend is from that area of Cleveland and regardless of what studies or public outcry says there is an abnormally high rate of cancer there. In fact, it was rare to meet anyone over the age of 50 while I was there and I found that disturbing. My boyfriend has lost five relatives to cancer and a number of other folks that from there that are still young have cancer of some form or another. It isn't even all the same kind of cancer. The trees in that area are darkened by the local coal trucks hauling their coal through. A number of his relatives work for the mine or the power company and says it's fairly common that when not under the threat of inspection they "slide" on environmental procautions and may even dump into the local waters. A lot of t

Everything that burns causes warming of the planet.Co2 heats faster than oxygen. Everything we do causes co2. Look at how many houses burn wood in the winter that should be outlawed those wood burners cause as much co2 nationwide as the power plants. We need solar we need solar we need solar

If someone wants to protest government or corporate/government actions they have the right to do that. If their actions are out of line then they are arrested and charged. God bless America.

In the meantime, the responsibility to maintain our countries strength and growth lies in our ability to provide power to our nation. Dominion would not be spending a billion for something that not only is needed but will provide a profit to its shareholders which happen to be everyone that has a retirement plan with some power companies in it. It is going to cost some pollution problems.

Global warming caused by mankind? Venus is warming up too. Man is not quite as powerful as he would think. Al Gore made a lot of money but he knows that in the 1970's we were about ready to go into an ice age because of mankind.

I saw a show where carbon released during cremation is captured and turned into a diamond for the family. Cant the carbon be captured?

We don't need any more coal-fired power plants. Global Warming! Global Warming! Global Warming! Coal is evil and is bad for the environment. Leave it in the ground where it belongs... Dominion should be looking at building nuclear power plants instead.

I am calling Southpark, Cartman knows how to handle hippies.Lock them in a basement and throw then some illegal substances now and them just to keep them quiet

Well if the wacky liberals would let us have nuclear power we wouldn't have to worry about a coal plant producing so much smog, now would we?

Nuclear is safe and efficient, but it is going to take over 5 years to bring anything online.

Solar is a waste of time, Spain just built a huge solar power plant that only makes 1/100th the power of a nuke plant, and cost more.

Wind is good supplimental power, but you cant run a city off it.

We need traditional power plants to fill the gap until we can get some nuke plants online, otherwise we will suffer from rolling blackouts like California where they can't build any.

Where is Cartman when you need him? He warned us all about the college know-it-all hippies...

Stunts like these are far more about people trying to get on the news and stroke their own ego. The real protest and debate against the plant have been going on a long time. I want to see a major shift to nuclear plants but that's not going to happen overnight and the power needs are now especially if people are going to start shifting to electric vehicles.

And they we call themselves students. yeah right.