PHOTO BY ELLIOTT ROBINSON. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announces a program to evaluate old factories and power plants not completely subject to the 1970 federal Clean Air Act. The program, which is not implying that any facilities are out of compliance, is the first in the nation. One of the first facilities to be reviewed is the Chesterfield Power Station near Chester.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced an initiative to review emissions from factories and power plants throughout Virginia. About 300 emitters of air pollution were grandfathered — partially exempted due to their previous existence — once the 1970 federal Clean Air Act went into effect. In a pilot program, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will evaluate three facilities that are among the top 15 emitters of air pollution in the state: the Glen Lyn Power Station in Giles County, which belongs to American Electric Power; MeadWestvaco Packaging Resource Group in Covington and Dominion's Chesterfield Power Station, where the announcement was made.
It is not expected that any of the facilities that have been chosen are not in compliance, Kaine said. They were chosen due to their size and/or location to population centers. The survey is to determine if their emissions cause or contribute to areas exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards, a level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Let's get out of the reactive mode and get into the proactive mode," Kaine said.
The program will be the first in the nation to evaluate the emission of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter at grandfathered sites. If a facility is found to be not in compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards, controls must be installed, said DEQ Director David K. Paylor.
"The end goal that we're after is that our air in Virginia meets National Ambient Air Quality Standards and our citizens are protected," Paylor said.
The look at the facilities will be a part of the governor's Renew Virginia Initiative. Kaine launched this program in December 2008 to promote renewable energy, creating green jobs and encouraging the preservation of the environment. Additionally, he has a goal of protecting 400,000 acres from development.
Over the next five years, the DEQ will look at the 15 largest emitters, Paylor said. The DEQ expects it to take six to 18 months to review the data, allowing them to evaluate two or three sites a year, Paylor said.
The three sites that were chosen have pledged their support of the initiative and have already implemented actions to reduce their effect on the environment. The Giles County plant and the MeadWestvaco facilities, which are 90 and 100 years old respectfully, have retrofitted facilities to reduce emission and the Chesterfield Power Station will have more than $900 million in environmental improvements once projects are completed in 2012.
The Chesterfield Power Station, located just outside of Chester along the James River, is home of the largest coal-fired electrical generator. Current environmental controls remove 95 percent of the sulfur dioxide from that particular unit. Much of the mercury, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide produced as byproducts at the power station are captured before entering the atmosphere as well.

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