Latest news with #WestVirginiaDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
West Virginia: Stop trying to make data centers happen
A giant data center has been proposed to be located between Thomas and Davis, West Virginia, near tourist destinations like Blackwater Falls State Park. (Lori Kersey | West Virginia Watch) When people refer to West Virginia as 'Almost Heaven,' we think of the beautiful, quiet scenic areas like Black Water Falls, Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods, all in Tucker County. However, our lawmakers just see money signs — and not very many of them. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recently signed into law House Bill 2014 — one of his key priorities — which created the state's microgrid program to encourage data centers to come to the Mountain State. Residents in Tucker County are already fighting a proposed data center. A Virginia company, Fundamental Data, has applied for an air permit from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for the 'Ridgeline Facility.' It includes an off-the-grid natural gas power plant between Thomas and Davis, which will likely power the giant data center proposed for a site just a mile away from the county's most heavily populated and tourist-attracting areas. A microgrid is a small power plant that is usually attached to a larger national grid, but runs independently to power things like a college campus, hospital complex or, in this case, a data center. West Virginia's new law allows 'high impact data centers' to curtail local zoning ordinances, meaning their microgrids don't have to attach to existing utilities. HB 2014, as requested by Morrisey, originally included provisions that would have required electric utilities with coal fired plants to operate at a higher capacity — 69% compared to 40% — and hold a 45-day supply of coal on hand at all times, while most only stockpile a 30-day supply. Lawmakers saw this bill as an opportunity to boost the state's coal industry, but power companies said it would be difficult to meet those standards. Not only that, but meeting those standards would have raised electricity rates for customers. The bill was amended dozens of times and passed without those standards, and Morrisey signed it into law. Now residents of Tucker County are worried about a proposed data center taking away from the serene beauty of their home. As someone who grew up in Poca just across the river from the coal-powered John E. Amos Power Plant, I understand why you wouldn't want a new one to pop up near your home. It's never quiet — you can hear the beep beep beep of equipment backing up all night and the banging of construction, and when the towers release steam, it sounds like the end of the world (at least it did when I first heard it as a child). And coal definitely keeps the lights on at the plant 24/7. In Virginia, which has the largest data center market in the world, there are local noise and lighting ordinances to protect residents. West Virginia residents won't have the same protections. My dad said during the 1970s, before air pollution was taken more seriously, ash from the John Amos plant would be all over the place in the mornings. Sometime in the 1990s, everyone on our street noticed spots on their cars that messed up the paint. My dad said the air pollution commission ran some tests on the spots that indicated they came from the power plant. It only happened that one time, dad said, but it was worrisome then and it's something to think about now as the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations. For instance, the Department of Justice has been told to block states from enforcing their own regulations on coal — because President Donald Trump wants to revive 'beautiful, clean coal.' Not only are power plants loud, but data centers are as well. They create noise pollution, typically a low humming sound, which is the cooling system that must run constantly to keep the temperatures down. Many data centers also use a diesel powered back-up system in case they lose power, and those must be tested monthly. These generators can run between 85 and 100 dBA — 85 dBA is when hearing can be harmed. So why are we putting up with this noise? It must be because it'll bring lots of jobs to the state, right? Not likely. Data centers are just buildings full of computers, and are largely automated. You ever wonder where the stuff you save on the cloud is stored, where the computers that make AI art are or where bitcoin is mined? In a data center. Some facilities employ only 50 people. Most data center jobs come from the construction of the facilities, and are often contracted from out-of-state. Aside from data centers not bringing jobs, they could cost ratepayers more money. Virginia has proposed two transmission lines for their data centers, and the lines could cost West Virginians more than $440 million, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis The two transmission lines, both of which cut through West Virginia, were proposed to help with growing demand for electricity from data centers. PJM's transmission cost allocation methodology charges all ratepayers for the transmission infrastructure because it assumes that the 'regional transmission costs could not be attributed to a single new user or class of users.' However the most recent Regional Transmission Expansion Plan processes shows that's not the case. While West Virginia is trying to use Virginia as an example on data centers, the state isn't doing it the same way with regulations and protections. 'What you're going to get if you do it this way is the worst players, the ones that didn't need to be in Northern Virginia,' said Julie Bolthouse, director of land use at Piedmont Environmental Council in Virginia. '… the players that are wanting that lack of regulations because they didn't want to abide by rules and didn't want to or need to protect communities, which is worse for West Virginia and the communities. What West Virginia is doing is not what Virginia is doing.' If lawmakers are serious about bringing data centers to the state, then they need to be serious about the consequences and set better regulations to protect residents who want to enjoy wild, wonderful West Virginia without noise cancelling headphones. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey ceremoniously signs bill to update plugging methods for abandoned oil and gas wells in WV
Gov. Patrick Morrisey held a ceremonial bill signing for House Bill 3336, which will change statewide standards for plugging abandoned and orphaned oil and natural gas wells across West Virginia. Morrisey, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Harold Ward and lawmakers were at the ceremony at the Heritage Port Amphitheater in Wheeling, for the signing on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey | Courtesy photo) Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Thursday ceremonially signed a piece of legislation that will change statewide standards for plugging abandoned and orphaned oil and natural gas wells across West Virginia. House Bill 3336 allows abandoned and orphaned wells in the state to be plugged by piercing the casing of the well and filling it with cement instead of removing the entire infrastructure of the well, which was previously required under state law. The bill passed the state House of Delegates 94-1 with five members absent and not voting. With one member absent, the state Senate unanimously adopted the bill on April 11, sending it to Morrisey's desk for signature. The new methods for plugging wells will give the state Department of Environmental Protection more 'flexibility to adapt to real-world conditions,' said DEP Secretary Harold Ward. The method has been 'successfully tested in the field' under a pilot project run by the DEP, according to a news release. Officials at Thursday's briefing said they're hopeful that enacting a less burdensome plugging method will allow wells to be plugged quicker using less money. Ward said there are more than 21,000 abandoned and orphaned wells in the state of West Virginia that can pose varying levels of environmental or health risks for the people and communities near them. Because they are abandoned — meaning the operators have left them and it's unknown who is responsible for them — the state is on the hook to plug the oil and natural gas wells. But plugging wells has proven a challenge across West Virginia. For one, the work is expensive. According to the abandoned well mapping tool from the DEP, the cost of plugging each well varies, but generally comes in near or above $100,000. A majority of wells plugged in the state are paid for using federal dollars allocated over recent years, specifically through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Per the DEP, both of those federal programs — passed and allocated under former President Joe Biden — are a 'significant boon' for the state's attempts to identify and plug abandoned wells as they provide 'substantial' funding to West Virginia that is 'crucial' to supporting the state Office of Oil and Gas. State funds — allocated to the OOG through industry permit fees, bond forfeitures and severance taxes — also go toward plugging wells, but on a smaller scale. State money covered plugging 18 abandoned wells in 2023 and about 32 in 2024, per the DEP. Meanwhile, federal funds covered plugging more than 200 abandoned or orphaned wells in 2023 and 2024 respectively. If the federal funding from the IIJA remains active and available, it's estimated that the state will be able to plug at least 1,200 abandoned wells through 2030. On Thursday, Morrisey praised the passage of HB 3336, saying it will 'protect West Virginia's natural resources and unique environment.' The law will go into effect on July 5. 'This new law cuts unnecessary regulation, safeguards our ecosystem, and saves taxpayer dollars,' Morrisey said. If you suspect the presence of an abandoned oil or natural gas well on your property, report the well to the state DEP by clicking here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Attacks on community air monitoring in West Virginia threaten our democracy
PurpleAir sensors report air quality data in real-time to a publicly available website. (Morgan King | Courtesy photo) Community air monitoring is democracy at work. Over the past year and a half, I have installed air quality sensors on people's homes, private businesses, community centers and government buildings. This work transcends several communities and organizations and is an effort of many West Virginians who believe in the power of science, transparency and community. Democratizing access to air quality data is the primary goal of community air monitoring efforts in West Virginia. Everyone should know the condition of the air they breathe. And, above all, every West Virginian should have access to clean air. Unfortunately this is not the case for every person in our state. Having access to air quality data allows the people who live, play and love our state to make their own informed decisions about their health. Notably, our communities are more vulnerable to air pollution than other states. West Virginians face among the highest rates of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and diabetes in the country. The sensors report air quality data in real-time to a publicly available website provided by the company who produces these sensors, PurpleAir. The pollution that PurpleAir sensors test for include particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Particulate matter is a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, like dust, bacteria and pollen, and VOCs are a group of chemicals that can be harmful to human health and the environment. The sensors also test for temperature and humidity, which can be useful for tracking heat disparities across neighborhoods and hyperlocal locations. With only 13 ambient air quality stations monitored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and a mere five of those stations active and reporting this week, it is safe to say that there is inadequate air monitoring for our 55 counties and 148 towns. The 16 air quality sensors that I have helped to deploy are more than triple that of the functioning WVDEP air monitors. With plans to deploy at least 50 more in the coming months, community air monitoring offers an affordable and empirical gap-filler where our government failed to step up. Yet, there are impending legislative threats that would limit this program and weaken our democratic system in an already volatile time for our environment and country. Last year, House Bill 5018 intended to limit the uses of data from these programs. While there were questions on the constitutionality of the bill and most speakers at a public hearing were against the bill, the House of Delegates still advanced it by a significant majority. It then went on to die in the Senate Energy committee. If this year's anti-community air monitoring bill is similar to the last, it will pose legislative overreach. A provision dictated what data could or could not be used within courts and violated the sanctity of the separation of powers and the constitutional principle of the three branches of government. Essentially it was our legislature saying that they cannot trust the judicial experts to make the right decision based on the evidence presented before them. Even worse, House Resolution 1 passed on the first day of session to establish the rules for the House of Delegates, including the elimination of public hearings in the people's house. This further threatens our democratic process and suppresses the voices of constituents. Last year, the public hearing on House Bill 5018 brought out residents who found value in knowing their air quality data. This year when the bill is considered through the new committee process, it will be on the whim of the committee chair to decide who gets to testify on the issue. As dismal and unfortunate as it is, I will not be surprised if that means locking constituents out of the legislative process. This should frighten folks — our freedoms are being stripped little by little. If those in power do not want you to know the quality of the air you breathe, then it's worth questioning why. And, if those in power do not want you to be able to ask that question to their face, then it's worth resisting in unconventional ways. One way to fight back is to install your own air quality sensor or get in contact and let me help you install one at your home or business. Community science initiatives can and will build collective power. After all, as much as those in power may try, they can't take the truth or scientific fact away from us. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
