Community organizing in Belle brought neighbors together through a common goal. Although they fought hard against Clean Seas, DEP ultimately provided an air permit.
Belle’s Fight For Clean Air
For months, the people of Belle have stood against Clean Seas’ construction of a plastic recycling plant in their town. The facility burns plastic, creating large amounts of air pollution. Riverside High School neighbors the facility. Generations of Kanawha County residents have fought against the industrial pollution plaguing the region nicknamed “Chemical Valley. Despite the will of the community, the Department of Environmental Protection has granted Clean Seas an air quality permit — allowing them to move forward with construction. Read more about it from these publications:
‘Slap in the face’: DEP OKs Clean-Seas plastics site permit despite community fears
A murky economic future and serious projected health impacts didn’t dissuade the agency from approving the permit.
Chemical Plastics Recycling Facility Granted Air Quality Permit For Kanawha Valley
Despite the brave organizing of the Belle community, Clean Seas has been given the green light to begin construction of its pyrolysis facility. The facility is close to a local high school. Read and listen for more details from Chris Schulz.
Chemical Recycling Operation Raises More Concerns Than Pollution
The Ohio River Valley Institute has concerns about the long-term feasibility of the Belle facility and Clean Vision’s future. Read and listen for more details from Chris Schulz.
Acquisition of Pleasants Power Plant
Financial mismanagement haunts the Pleasants County power plant. Omnis Pleasants LLC filed for bankruptcy late last month, reporting tens-of-millions in debt due to previous management investing in speculative ventures and other misappropriation, including related-party transactions and misuse of lender funds.
Omnis Pleasants reports 600+ creditors, 70 in WV amid uncertain coal plant future
The coal-fired power plant should have been transitioning to a hydrogen production facility beginning in 2023. Mounting evidence shows misuse of lender funds instead.
Court filings: WV misled amid $50M+ aid for Pleasants plant facing bankruptcy
A new bankruptcy filing by Omnis Pleasants LLC has revealed misappropriations of funding by former head Simon Hodson. Read more about the troubled power plant operations in Pleasants County.
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Data Center News
Fights continue around the state to protect communities as data center developers descend on West Virginia. In Tucker County, DEP, the Data Economy Office, and Fundamental Data have been going back and forth as everyone determines regulatory practices and legal boundaries for the first time. Across Appalachia, communities and local governments are also clashing over the data center boom. Read more about it from these publications:
DEP Questions Fundamental Data Site control for Tucker Co. data center-linked project
DEP has requested proof of land ownership/control from Fundamental Data. The Company eventually replied with an almost fully redacted document.
DEP OKs Fundamental Data Tucker Co. site control claim for data-center linked project
DEP has approved the largely redacted document from the 2024 land purchase and sale agreement for nearly 300 acres.
Hyperscale Data Centers Provoke Bipartisan Outrage Across Kentucky
West Virginians aren’t alone in the data center fight. Across Appalachia, communities are coming together to fight back against the big tech insurgence — even across the aisle. Read and listen for more from Joe Sonka.
Update: Proposed Tucker County Data Center Developer Provides Proof Of Property Ownership
A heavily redacted proof of property ownership document has been released by the DEP. The document was released after a series of legal and regulatory volleys between Fundamental Data and the DEP. Read more from Chris Schulz.
With More Data Centers On The Horizon, Communities Worry About Rising Electricity Bills
Kentucky residents are concerned about the rising cost of electricity, too. They recently packed a Kentucky Public Service Commission meeting to raise their concerns. Read and listen for more from Curtis Tate.
As Data Centers Eye W.Va., Local Communities Feel Overlooked
HB 2014 ruled out local control, and communities are now left without much say in whether hyperscale data centers can become a new neighbor. Read more about it from Chris Schulz.
Charleston Gazette-Mail
PSC staff makes case for path to dismissing NextEra’s $1B+ MARL power line project
PSC staff are urging the agency to request NextEra to toll the project or risk dismissal.
Morrisey clean water plan leaves massive water project fund gap, implementation questions
West Virginia’s percentage of public water systems with violations has risen drastically over the past decade — from in the 30% range in 2014 to nearly 80% in 2024. Although Morrisey announced $145M in funding for infrastructure projects, it’s still just a fraction of what’s needed to repair a multigenerational issue.
‘Nonresponsive’: Morrisey office’s history of public information delays and denials
The Governor’s office has repeatedly delayed or denied access to basic information requests from the Gazette-Mail.
MSHA backs longer legal limbo for mine dust rule, WV reps quiet on black lung pay
Black lung rates are on the rise in Central Appalachia. Trump’s MSHA has tabled a rule enacted during Biden’s term meant to protect against coal and silica dust overexposure.
Federal investigators’ update on fatal Nitro chemical incident flags safety concerns
The new report shows clear safety concerns leading up to the tragedy earlier this year.
‘The same story’: Morrisey data center plan doubles down on industry regulation gaps
The 10-page plan from the Department of Commerce doesn’t provide new environmental or ratepayer protections, leaving many of us wondering what makes the plan responsible or principled.
Justice firms face new federal tax liens for $8.8M+, new DEP lawsuit seeking $2.9M+
New federal tax liens for the Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and Greenbrier Clinic Inc. have been filed with the Greenbrier County Clerk — raising the civil and federal penalties owed by the Justice’s enterprises past $10 million.
Morrisey’s Southern West Virginia water listening tour marred by secrecy and distrust
Generations of families in the Southern Coalfields have gone without consistent clean water access. Morrisey’s last-minute water listening tour purports to solve the clean water crisis.
WV lagging in implementing home energy savings programs amid high cost strain
Four years ago, the Department of Energy allocated funding for West Virginia home energy rebates. The $88M+ was finally allocated early last year, but the rebate program still hasn’t launched. A pilot program has recently been initiated, but it’s still not available statewide.
DEP plan would weaken clean water protections in aboveground storage tank rule
Just before embarking on his clean water listening tour of Southern West Virginia, Governor Morrissey’s administration advanced a proposed rule change to the aboveground storage tank regulations that protect water.
Union Carbide, Covestro target testimony alleging raised South Charleston cancer risk
The two industry giants in Chemical Valley are working to rid expert testimony from a class-action lawsuit. The suit is in regards to chronic ethylene oxide pollution in the region.
Violations persist at Raleigh Co. mine after MSHA says failures caused fatal accident
MSHA released a report attributing an April fatality to safety failures. Records indicate continued safety failures since the tragedy this spring.
AEP reaches deal to acquire Longview Power Plant, gas-fired project site in Mon County
Six years after filing bankruptcy, the Longview Power Plant and Mountain State Clean Energy development project site have been acquired by AEP. The company stated the acquisition would not “directly impact Appalachian Power customers’ rates.”
Mountain State Spotlight
LeRoy Woodson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Black lung rates are on the rise in Appalachia. The NIOSH research reported a modern rate as high as the late 70’s.
A decade ago, lawmakers created a Future Fund to save coal and gas wealth. It never saved a penny.
Extractive industry has long left West Virginians with a challenging bust-and-boom cycle of unstable financial gain. Other states have created tax funds to help stabilize development when the coal, gas, and minerals fizzle out. Complicated rules for West Virginia’s Future Fund have caused it to go without a deposit for more than a decade.
The state’s lack of water infrastructure isn’t just an issue for drinking water — it’s also part of the high fire death rate. The state also lacks a plan to address the high rate. There hasn’t been a plan for five decades.
New findings point to serious lack of safety protections for workers at the Institute plant where a fatal accident occurred in April. Workers weren’t required to wear respirators or use gas monitors that could have detected the toxic fume leak.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
PJM Proposes Cutting Energy For Data Centers That Don’t Bring Their Own
PJM has proposed limiting energy service to data centers constructed after 2027 without individual grids. The hope is to encourage data center developers to build their own grids, reducing demand on the shared grid. Read and listen for more information from Eric Douglas.
American Water To Assess Massive Leaks in Wayne
Significant leakage in Wayne’s water system causes the majority of water to never be delivered to customers. Residents are only getting 30% of the water they’re paying for. Read more about it from Maria Young.
Work Is Underway To Restore Train Service After Derailment
17 train cars derailed in South Charleston earlier this month. Read and listen for more from Maria Young.
Morrisey Promotes Energy Future To Gas And Oil Association
Governor Morrisey recently announced billions in economic development projects coming to the state soon. Read and listen for more information from Eric Douglas.
AEP To Buy Longview Power Plant
American Electric Power is set to buy a power plant in Maidsville originally built to be a clean coal facility. The site currently produces 700 megawatts of energy. Read and listen for more information from Curtis Tate.
Massive Rockslide Blocks WV 3, Traffic Passing Now
Late last month, a rockslide in Raleigh County blocked both lanes of West Virginia 3. While there were no injuries, the boulders and debris were huge. Read and listen for more from Eric Douglas.
West Virginia Watch
More extreme heat days are coming. Will states be ready?
West Virginia has been hot and wet this summer. It’s flooded in different parts of the state every month this season. Extreme weather is the new normal, but are state governments prepared?
Morrisey commits $145 million for Southern West Virginia drinking water infrastructure
Governor Morrisey announced $145M for water infrastructure projects in Southern West Virginia during his short listening tour earlier this month. The funding is a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed to rectify the situation in the region.
WV DEP says Fundamental Data controls site of proposed Tucker County data center, power plant
DEP has accepted Fundamental Data’s submission of the highly redacted sale agreement from 2024. The agreement shows sale of nearly 300 acres for the development site.
UMWA calls for ‘immediate’ enforcement of silica rule as black lung hits new high in WV, Appalachia
Black lung rates are the highest they’ve been since the late 70’s, but the federal government has continually delayed interventions.
Trump announces $180M for mining education as administration recommits to coal
Black Lung rates are rapidly rising. Coal ash is incredibly toxic to surrounding communities and their environments. For a million other reasons, propping up the coal industry will cause environmental and economic harm to our state. The Trump Administration is still doubling down. Read more about it from Sam Gauntt.
After years of pleas to address water crisis, Morrisey begins two-day Southern WV listening tour
Last legislative session, residents of the Southern Coalfields brought containers of their unsanitary tap water to show lawmakers how dire the water access issue is. Generations have gone without safe tap water access. The Governor is traveling to hear more about it. But will anything change? Read more from Caity Coyne.
Kanawha County Commission wants more information as WV DEP considers permit for Clean Seas
The Kanawha County Commission stood with the Belle community late last month when they urged against the provision of an air permit for Clean Seas—a plastic pyrolysis plant slated near the local high school. Read more about it from Caity Coyne.
‘Where’s he at?’ WV flood survivor says government should do more to help
Flooding in July ravaged communities around the state, particularly in Lewis and Upshur Counties. Some residents feel left behind by President Trump. Read more about it from Caity Coyne.
Other
A County Got Rich From Data Centers. Some Question ‘At What Cost?’
