Dominion will pay mightily for emissions

April 9, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

Dominion Energy has agreed to pay a $3.4 million civil penalty and spend approximately $9.8 million on environmental mitigation projects to resolve Clean Air Act violations, according to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This settlement limits power plant emissions in northwest Indiana and central Illinois, and requires Dominion to fund environmental mitigation work, including projects that will improve air quality near Chicago rail yards and protect lands around the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Dominion must install or upgrade pollution control technology on two plants, and permanently retire a third. Dominion will be required to continuously operate the new and existing pollution controls, and comply with stringent emission rates and annual tonnage limitations.

As a result of the settlement, Dominion will have to spend $9.75 million on projects that will benefit the environment and human health in communities located near its facilities, including wood stove change outs; land acquisition and restoration; energy-efficiency and geothermal/solar projects for local schools; and clean diesel engine retrofits for municipalities. Dominion must also pay a total of $750,000 to the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service, to be used on projects to address the damage done from Dominion's alleged excess emissions.

For more:
- see the Consent Decree

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/dominion-will-pay-mightily-emissions/2013-04-09