McDonnell Proposes Pollution Trading Credits For Virginia

(Monday) April 19, 2010

By Carla Branch
alexandrianews.org

Mirant Plant (Courtesy Photo)

When the Virginia General Assembly reconvenes on Wednesday, one of Governor Bob McDonnell’s legislative changes is his proposal to allow power generating plants to trade pollution credits with other plants in Virginia and other states. The version of the bill, which the legislature passed before they adjourned, included a provision allowing the Air Pollution Control Board to prohibit credit trading in non-attainment areas where clean air standards are not being met. Virginia’s one non-attainment area contains Alexandria and other parts of northern Virginia.

“I spoke with the governor and his policy director and his feeling is that he wants to treat all of Virginia the same and allow everyone to participate in the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s cap and trading program,” said Virginia Delegate Charniele Herring (D-46). “The bill that we passed, which included the language that Alexandria wanted, passed both the House and the Senate easily. My guess is that the House will vote to remove the language as the governor has recommended and that the Senate will vote to retain the language that protects northern Virginia’s air quality.”

EPA’s cap and trading program allows power plants to trade environmental credits with those who are exceeding NO₂ and SO₂ emission standards. “This is bad for air quality and for the health of the people who live in Alexandria and in northern Virginia,” said Elizabeth Chimento, a member of the Mirant Community Monitoring Group, which monitors Alexandria’s Potomac River Generating Station. “As written, the bill would have allowed the Air Board to decide whether to allow Mirant to trade for environmental credits with plants in Maryland. The governor wants to give that authority solely to EPA.”

Alexandria and Mirant, the owner of the PRGS reached an agreement under which Mirant will spend $34 million to improve environmental controls at the plant. Activists like Chimento supported that agreement and see the governor’s actions as a step backward.

“If the two houses of the legislature don’t agree on the governor’s proposal, the bill goes back to him as it was originally passed, including the Air Board’s ability to preclude environmental credit trading in non-attainment areas. He must decide whether to sign it or veto it. If he vetoes it, the legislature must decide whether to override that veto,” Herring said.