Sunday, January 18, 2009
New building site? Or a toxic landfill by the New river?
Giles County is still arguing about a power plant’s coal ash.
Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times
The Giles County Partnership for Excellence owns Cumberland Park and is using coal ash from Appalachian Power's Glen Lyn power plant to raise more than 7 acres about 30 feet. That would put the riverbank at the level of U.S. 460, creating what the partnership says will be a building site for a job-creating business.
American Electric Power’s Glen Lyn plant burns about 2,000 tons of coal each day. That produces about 200 tons of ash daily. For years, the company landfilled the ash on the banks of the New River, near the power plant. Today, AEP wets the ash that settles in the bottom of its burners and sluices it to two ponds, where it is dried and then hauled off. The fly ash that is trapped before it escapes from the plant’s smokestacks is hauled away, too. Some goes to Roanoke Cement Co., where it is used in a variety of masonry products. Most of it used to go to a former mine site near Charleston, W.Va.
Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times
Narrows property being readied as a fly ash landfill. See how it looked in March 2008 in panoramic photo.
A group called Concerned Citizens of Giles County says the toxin-laden ash is a threat to the river and public health.
Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
Following are the stories thus far:
- Group calls for Giles supervisors' resignation
- Nonprofit says it tried to buy site
- Report says water at Narrows coal ask site OK
- Residents continue coal ash fight
- Flooding problems nag Cumberland Park project
- Recent dam break highlights Narrows project
- Grand jury: Narrows coal ash site not a nuisance
- As dump trucks roll, lawyers ready for court
- Narrows site ready to receive coal ash
- Questions surround Giles partnership
- Bills would give communities a voice in fly ash debate
- Both sides file court papers
- Giles supervisors ask for liner, testing for fly ash site
- Economic pressures flow along Virginia's section of New River
- Experts say coal ash won't hurt
- Professor concerned about fly ash plan
- Debate over fly ash use heats up in Giles
- 1 of 2 coal ash bills remains alive in Richmond
Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times
AEP's previous dump site for fly ash.
The advocates, for and against






