Share Your Thoughts with the Board of Supervisors

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Power plant proposed south of Leesburg and west of Ashburn.

This Monday, March 8, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to discuss a proposal by Green Energy Partners to build an industrial power plant south of Leesburg. Dubbed the "Stonewall Hybrid Energy Park", the new plant would be a 980 Megawatt natural gas facility, with 1 Megawatt of solar.

The public hearing starts at at 5:00 PM at the first floor Board Room of the County Government Center. If you can't attend, please send an email to the Board today.

The Devil is in the Details

Starting last Spring, PEC has raised one major concern with this proposal: The location of this industrial use conflicts with the County's Comprehensive Plan. The Comp Plan currently calls for low density residential development (1 unit per 10 acres) at the location being considered, not an industrial power plant. This was a deliberate decision to protect cultural and natural resources in the immediate area, including the Goose Creek Reservoir which provides the surrounding region with drinking water. The public emphatically reaffirmed the vision for the entire Transition Area and this area in particular in a series of public hearings between 2005 and 2008.

If the Board chooses to approve the proposed land use, they should only do so after pursuing a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, so that a precedent is not set for future developers who want to deviate from the Plan.

In addition, the Board should do everything in its power to protect local air and water quality and quantity. While the plant will require permits from the Department of Environmental Quality, the County should set a high standard by making the following a condition of any land use approval: 1) the adoption of nitrogen offsets in Loudoun or upwind of Loudoun, and 2) limits on consumptive water use to avoid low flow in the Potomac River.

--PEC's Statement to the Planning Commission

--More about the Water Concerns
--Green Energy Partner's Pre-Application to DEQ

Getting the Best Outcome for Loudoun Residents

Over the past decade, PEC has been involved in a number of power plant and transmission line proposals. In each case, we have worked to ensure that applicable land use policies are fully considered and adhered to, and that any proposal is held up for public scrutiny and meets the highest environmental standards for air and water quality.  Conditions set by local government play a critical role in encouraging DEQ and other state agencies to produce the best possible permits.

We don't believe there is any need to rush this through. The DEQ and SCC review process will take 12-18 months, and there are already several natural gas facilities fully permitted (but unbuilt) in the surrounding region, including a state-of-the-art facility in Front Royal. With this in mind, we believe the County has time to get this proposal right and ensure the best outcome for Loudoun residents. The county must not let a promise of a 'green' energy facility justify a major change in land use that could allow a broad range of medium to heavy industrial uses.

Please share your thoughts with the Loudoun Board of Supervisors

I would also be very interested in hearing what you have to say about this proposal. Please respond to this email letting me know what you think.

Sincerely,

Gem Bingol
Loudoun County Field Officer
Piedmont Environmental Council
gbingol@pecva.org

P.S. If the land use approval does come through, the power plant developer will still have to comply with Clean Air Act standards for a non-attainment zone (which Loudoun is a part of), get the proper permitting from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, secure an interconnection agreement from PJM, get approval from the State Corporation Commission, and find financing for construction. I'll be tracking each of these processes as well, and will share what we learn.

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