Wise Co., Va. -- A judge in Richmond invalidated an air permit for Dominion Virginia's coal-fired power plant in Virginia City.
Circuit Judge Margaret Spencer said Dominion should have obtained a mercury emission permit before they laid the foundation of their roughly $1.8 billion facility.
It neighbors U.S. Highway 58 just outside St. Paul Va.
Kathy Selvage spent Tuesday in Roanoke with environmental leaders from middle and southwest Virginia.
"We were all ecstatic," Selvage said. "It's really important."
She added, after Tuesday's ruling, it's time to push the envelope.
"I would still like to see it never go on line, not to ever push power," Selvage said. "The ruling today was like a validation of what we have long said."
Her position: Dominion and other energy companies need to clean up their act.
Power plant construction is right on schedule (about 20-percent complete), but Tuesday's chink in the Dominion armor begs the question -- 'Will that ruling slow down the roll of coal in Virginia City?'
Dominion said, "No."
They issued the following press release Tuesday: "Today's decision upholds virtually all of the conditions in both air permits.... We expect the remaining issue regarding mercury emission will be resolved in a manner that will allow the {plant} to be completed on schedule."
Wise County Administrator Shannon Scott said, there's a lot of money on the line.
"It represents about 90-percent of the total investment in the V-CEDA region -- that's the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority," Scott said.
Scott said the roughly $1.8 billion plant will also more than double Wise County's entire tax base.
He wants the plant completed as soon as possible.
"I don't think it's possible for us to say or do anything which would cause it to be completed before 2012," Scott said.
11 Connects contacted officials with the Eastern Coal Council, V-CEDA, and the Virginia Mining Association. All three said they needed more time to discern the possible impact of Tuesday's ruling.
Click the play icon above for a video version of this report.
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