Dust Control – Soil Stabilization – Erosion Control

An environmental advocacy group known as Environment Virginia released a report this week that identifies Alexandria’s Mirant coal-fired power plant as the second dirtiest in Virginia. The report, titled "America’s Biggest Polluters," used carbon dioxide emissions data from 2007 to conduct an analysis of the plants and create a ranking system. The finding comes at a time when city officials are coordinating with Mirant to erect a 30-foot windscreen in an effort to control fugitive dust from the plant.

"It’s very disappointing, but I must say it’s not surprising," said Councilwoman Del Pepper. "I’m hopeful that with the $ 34 million we got to improve the plant will address some of the problems."

In a $34-million settlement arranged last summer, the Atlanta-based energy company consented to spending $32 million to reduce output of particulate matter from the plant and $2 million to control fugitive dust. City officials say their long-term goal remains closing the plant, although nobody seems to have a timeline for when that might happen.

"As you know, and the press release admits, carbon dioxide is not yet regulated by the EPA," said Mirant spokeswoman Misty Allen. "The regulatory agency has a rulemaking proceeding underway and Mirant will meet any future EPA regulations of C02 as it does for all EPA regulated emissions."

The report concluded that the Mirant plant on the Potomac is the second dirtiest power plant in Virginia in 2007 based on carbon dioxide pollution, according to a new analysis of government data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The report also found that power plants built three decades ago or more produced 73 percent of the total pollution from power plants in 2007.

"It’s time for the oldest and dirtiest power plants to clean up their act," said Environment Virginia community organizer Pamela Leibowitz. "In order to stop global warming and reap all the benefits of clean energy, we must require old coal-fired clunkers to meet modern standards for global warming pollution."