By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Following an appeal filed September 12th by three citizen groups that sought to revoke and reclassify an Air Quality Permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for the proposed Ridgeline Power Plant in Tucker County, the West Virginia State Air Quality Board returned a verdict Thursday, February 5th overruling the groups’ objections and accepted the position of the WVDEP that the facility was a synthetic minor source, that information was allowed to be kept from the public and emissions were estimated properly. The Board did, however, agree that additional monitoring should be required.
Fundamental Data, the Virginia based company behind the project, issued a statement on the ruling on Thursday in which it maintained that it is operating within the perimeters of West Virginia law and upholds a commitment to work with the community going forward. The statement was the first issued by the company since word of the project first became public early last year.
“Today’s decision by the West Virginia Air Quality Board affirms that Ridgeline and its operating plans are consistent with WV law. Ridgeline is designed to serve West Virginia first – strengthening the state’s technology economy, creating jobs, and keeping energy production and its benefits in West Virginia. Fundamental Data recognizes the significance of this project to nearby communities and remains committed to responsible operations and thoughtful communication as the project moves forward. This milestone sets the stage for what comes next at Ridgeline, and we look forward to sharing more in the near term,” the statement read.
A joint statement was issued on behalf of the three appealing citizen groups. Tucker United spoke out against the Board’s decision and criticized what it saw as the Board favoring corporations over the health of West Virginians.
Tucker United member Amy Margolies said, “We are extremely disappointed in the Air Quality Board’s decision to uphold the air permit for the Ridgeline facility, despite significant concerns from community members,” said Amy Margolies, a member of Tucker United. “The board failed to protect the health and well-being of West Virginians, opting instead to favor the interests of out-of-state developers.”
The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy also echoed the sentiment shared with Tucker United that the groups felt that the Board was favoring corporations.
“We are, of course, disappointed by the Air Quality Board’s ruling this week, but fully expected the subordinates of the governor to rule in favor of a data center developer, and not the people of West Virginia,” said Olivia Miller, interim executive director of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.
Miller continued, “We are up against a system that clearly prioritizes corporations over people and public health at nearly every turn. The decision stated Fundamental Data pursued the synthetic minor permit path to avoid the ‘more costly and onerous’ requirements that come with major-source permitting. The Conservancy is no stranger to long battles, and we are ready to keep fighting to protect the people, land, air, and water of the Highlands.”
The Sierra Club condemned the verdict’s stance to uphold the project as a regulated minor source of pollution, as well as the proposed location as inappropriate to delicate environments such as Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods.
“Fundamental Data is proposing to build one of the largest power plants in West Virginia, but wants its air pollution to be regulated as a minor source”, said Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair for the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club. “It defies common sense to claim such a large source of pollution is a ‘minor source,’ yet the WVDEP and the Air Quality Board accepted that decision. Locating such a facility next to Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods is simply not appropriate.”
The appeal focused on 17 specific objections by citizen groups Tucker United, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Sierra Club. A series of hearings by the WV Air Quality Board were held in Charleston in December in which witness testimony was heard by the Board.
The groups have maintained since the inception that they felt that the Ridgeline project has been shrouded in secrecy both by the company and the State, with the corporate rights of the company held to a higher standard than those of the citizens of West Virginia, especially those in Tucker County.
The groups said in their statement that though the appeal was unsuccessful, they felt the fight was not over.
“Although the Air Quality Board did not vote to reclassify the project as a major source of pollutants, which would have triggered a more transparent process involving air quality modeling and environmental impact assessments, Tucker United will continue to fight this proposal,” said Cris Parque, from Tucker United. “We will never stop advocating for the safety and well-being of our community.”
