BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~ Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone (336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email: BREDL@skybest.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 5, 2007

CONTACTS:
Louis Zeller 336-982-2691 (office) 336-977-0852 (cell)
Elena Day 434-296-2494
John Cruickshank 434-973-0373

GROUPS FILE LEGAL CHALLENGE TO NORTH ANNA WATER PERMIT

Today two environmental groups announced that they have mounted a legal challenge of the Department of Environmental Quality’s water permit granted to Dominion-Virginia Power’s North Anna nuclear station. Last week the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and the People’s Alliance for Clean Energy filed a Notice of Appeal to the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond stating that the issuance of the permit was arbitrary, capricious and failed to protect state water quality standards.

The November 28th notice stated: “Appellants challenge the DEQ’s recommendation and the Board’s decision to re-issue this permit in its current form and will challenge the legal and factual bases for the Board’s case decision as contrary to law.”

“The situation is a violation of the Clean Water Act,” said Elena Day of Peoples Alliance for Clean Energy (PACE). She continued, “It is the responsibility of Virginia DEQ to protect its citizens, not foster Dominion’s noncompliance with the law.”

DEQ’s permit granted Dominion a variance which allows the nuclear plant’s wastewater heat discharge to exceed water quality standards. Louis Zeller, representing the League, said, “Our members and others living near Lake Anna are entitled to equal protection. They must not be subjected to a different set of laws from other state residents.”

Information gathered by local residents show Lake Anna’s temperature exceeded 106 degrees last year. John Cruickshank of PACE said, “The decision by the State Water Control Board allows water of very hot temperatures to be dumped into Lake Anna. Our summers have been increasingly hot in Central Virginia, and if you add a drought the stresses on Lake Anna become critical.” Lake Anna is the third largest in Virginia. The lake is used as a cooling pond for the nuclear reactors operated by Dominion-Virginia Power.

PACE’s Vanthi Nguyen put into words what other area residents have been thinking: “How does Dominion dare even to consider siting new reactors on a lake that is so seriously impaired by existing reactors.”

The two groups will file a detailed complaint in late December. The full appeal will detail the violations of state and federal laws and regulations.

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