Response to Brian Bennett Opinion Piece
This letter is in response to the Opinion piece by Brian Bennett that appeared in the July 16, 2025 edition of the Advocate.
First my qualifications: My childhood was spent in Winfield, WV, home to the John Amos power station and nearby numerous chemical plants in the Kanawha Valley. After graduation from WVU in 1974 I lived for 12 years in Cross Lanes, WV and worked for Union Carbide Corporation in South Charleston. Then I lived for 20 years in the mid-Ohio Valley and worked at a chemical plant in Tyler County, WV, so I know about pollution. In 2007 my wife and I moved to Canaan Valley. We were drawn by the lifestyle, recreation and clean environment.
Mr. Bennett’s byline says he is a resident of Washington, WV in Wood County – home of the DuPont Washington Works, which is famous for polluting local water supplies with C-8. Nearby there are many other chemical plants, so he knows pollution as well. And yet he seems keen on bringing pollution right to the doorstep of the tourist towns of Davis and Thomas – all for a little bit of money.
If a power station/data center is even needed, then build it in Wood County. Natural gas is more readily available and barge, rail and highway transportation id far better. Most of all the people who live there, like Mr. Bennett, are accustomed to air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and light pollution. Or build it in Purcellville Va. Where the custom home builder turned power station builder, Casey Chapman lives. Or build it in Tucker County out by the existing, Mt. Storm power station, just don’t build it in town.
Let Tucker County be known for natural beauty, clean air and water, recreational opportunities and a serene lifestyle.
John Richard Davis, WV
