Pollutant gob coal pile to be removed from Clinch River Virginia
The Southwest Virginia Clinch River will have a pollutant pile of gob coal removed and repurposed as an energy fuel, thanks to a collaboration formed on Tuesday between Dominion, government agencies and a waste removal company.
“This is major environmental success story,” Dominion Generation Business Group CEO Paul Koonce said. “A unique power station is taking a waste product from a century-old coal mine and using it to responsibly make energy for Virginia today. This gob coal piled along the banks of a Clinch River tributary has been polluting the river for decades and desperately needed to be cleaned up. Along with the environmental benefits, our Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center, is helping to keep our electric rates stable and boosting the economy of Southwest Virginia with jobs and taxes.”
Through the partnership, Dominion will use the half-million tons of gob coal at the Hurricane Creek gob dump site as fuel for a new revolutionary electric power station. Through the project, the site will reclaim the Dumps Creek Watershed, while greatly improving the local ecosystem.
The Hurricane Creek dump site was the largest pollutant to the Clinch River Watershed. The project is expected to improve the health of the watershed and environment for residents and wildlife. It will also provide affordable energy to local residents.
