By Luanne McGovern, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

Despite the outpouring of public concern and protest against issuing an air permit to the Ridgeline power plant project, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued a construction permit to Fundamental Data on Aug. 16. As noted in the September edition of The Highlands Voice, there were a few minor changes incorporated based on the over 1,600 citizen comments. But the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy is still opposed to this project being built in Tucker County.

In partnership with Appalachian Mountain Advocates, Tucker United and the Sierra Club, an appeal was filed with the West Virginia Air Quality Board requesting that the permit be reconsidered.

Our appeal challenges the company’s claims that this plant qualifies as a “synthetic minor source” of pollution. We believe it must be treated as a “major source facility,” which would require continuous emissions monitoring and stricter regulatory controls. The permit is problematic in several other ways:

• It allows critical information to be kept secret from the public.
• It fails to require emissions and pollution monitoring. 
• And overall, the permit does not meet the standards set by West Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Act.

The Air Quality Board has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on the appeal for Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 8:30 a.m. at the Department of Environmental Protection offices in Charleston. We urge all members and interested parties to attend, either in person or via Zoom, to hear directly about this problematic permit. More information and the details of our appeal can be found here: https://aqb.wv.gov/docket/Pages/default.aspx

This fight for the Highlands is likely to be long, and costly. Please consider contributing to our data center opposition fundraiser to help defray the costs for legal assistance and advocacy work. As stated so eloquently by our Program Director, Olivia Miller and our President, Marilyn Shoenfeld in the most recent edition of the Tucker County Observer:

“We call on citizens and those who love Tucker County to stay engaged. The remarkable grassroots uprising seen these past months must not fade. The fight is difficult, but it’s far from over, and public engagement is the key to success. Keep speaking out through every channel available. This is a fight for the life of our home as we know it. That’s not hyperbole. But it’s a fight we can win by drawing on our unity, our history, and our mountain spirit.

Tucker County stands at a crossroads not unlike ones we’ve faced before. One path, greased by outside interests, leads to an industrialized highland with short-term gains for a few and long-term costs for the many. The other path is one of local empowerment, prudent planning, and preservation of the precious assets that make this place home.”

Tucker United invites all community members to stay engaged and take part in these important conversations about Tucker County’s future. The Community Potluck & Roundtable Discussion will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Thomas Community Center, followed by the Community Informational Session & Conversation from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Tucker County Courthouse in Parsons. Both events are free and open to everyone interested in learning more about the Ridgeline Project, House Bill 2014, and other issues shaping the county’s direction. For more information or updates, visit Tucker United’s Facebook page or contact organizers directly.