Group sues Dominion over Chesapeake coal ashMar 19 - Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)
An environmental group today filed a lawsuit against Dominion Virginia Power , arguing the company is contaminating ground water around a former Chesapeake power plant. The lawsuit, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the Sierra Club , said coal ash ponds at the site are leaking arsenic and other chemicals into the groundwater and the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River . The suit alleges violations of the Clean Water Act. The Southern Environmental Law Center announced in December it would file the suit if Dominion didn't take steps to clean up the ponds. Nearly 975,000 tons of coal ash, the byproduct of coal combustion, are stored at the site of the former Chesapeake Energy Center. A Dominion spokesman said in a statement: "Dominion disagrees with the allegations and has worked closely with all federal and state environmental compliance agencies over the years, and intends to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. " ___ (c)2015 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com |