Opponents of Proposed Dominion Gas Plant File Appeal with Chesterfield County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 18, 2024

CONTACT:

Glen Besa, Friends of Chesterfield Board Chair and Founder 

glenbesa@gmail.com | 804-387-6001

Opponents of Proposed Dominion Gas Plant 

File Appeal with Chesterfield County 

CHESTERFIELD, VA - Friends of Chesterfield filed an appeal on Monday to the Chesterfield County Board of Zoning Appeals challenging the county’s inaction regarding Dominion Energy’s plans to build a 1000-megawatt methane gas plant near Dutch Gap. 

“County leaders have an obligation to listen to our concerns about this dirty gas plant and the impact it will have on our health and our power bills,” said Glen Besa, Chair of Friends of Chesterfield. “Ignoring local residents and pushing this project forward without a hearing or a vote is unacceptable.”

The appeal follows an October 18th decision from the Chesterfield Director of Planning, who sent a letter to Friends of Chesterfield denying a request for a written zoning determination that Dominion currently lacks the required zoning approval for the proposed gas-fired power plant at 500 Coxendale Road. To date, the county has not held a hearing or a vote on the project. Dominion and the county are relying on a zoning ruling pertaining to the property in 2010 to justify moving forward with the project. 

The petition to the Board of Zoning Appeals argues that the 2010 conditional use permit does not apply to a new gas plant being built over a decade later.

Community members have raised serious concerns over the health, financial and environmental risks associated with the project. The facility is expected to generate more than 1,110 tons of toxic air pollutants annually and is likely to raise electric bills for Dominion customers.  

“My family has endured decades of coal dust and toxic air pollution from Dominion’s old coal plant; we deserve a break,” said Duane Brankley, a local resident who lives two miles from the proposed site of the facility and who is a co-appellant in the appeal. “Building a new gas plant will put thousands of families and children at risk of breathing toxic air for another 40 years.”

On October 29th, in response to inaction by the County Board of Supervisors, Friends of Chesterfield hosted a People’s Hearing on the gas plant that drew  more than 150 attendees. The testimony gathered at this event will be submitted to both the county and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which is currently reviewing an air pollution permit for the gas plant.

The Board of Zoning Appeals has 45 days to respond to the petition filed by Friends of Chesterfield. 

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Friends of Chesterfield is a community-based group in Chesterfield County dedicated to bringing residents together around the issues that impact our lives. Friends of Chesterfield was formed in 2023 in response to Dominion Energy’s proposed 1000-megawatt methane gas power plant.