Arlington County Board Condemns Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant

The Arlington County Board has joined Blacksburg and Charlottesville in passing a resolution opposing plans for a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County. It's a bold stand and one that makes me proud to be an Arlingtonian. As I've said before, this plant is a bad idea on so many levels, both economic and environmental.

And who can you count on to provide unbalanced coverage of such a rational move? Why, the Sun Gazette, of course. I wouldn't even call their write-up an "article". So many facts are left out and so many opinions are left in, it's a lot closer to an editorial than anything resembling journalism. It managed to leave out all this:

• According to the Roanoke Times, the plant will be allowed to release more than 12,500 tons of pollution each year, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, the latter a cause of serious breathing problems for people with respiratory illnesses
• Each year, the plant would emit 5.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas causing global warming
• The plant would keep Virginia addicted to mountaintop-removed coal

The movement against the plant is really picking up steam across the state, with the Bristol Herald Courier becoming the latest newspaper to editorialize against the plant.

Please email the County Board right now to congratulate them for taking a strong stand on such a critical issue!