H. R. 2--"Expressing concern over requests by Virginia Power
Company and a nonunion Maryland coal mine for West Virginia to
upgrade bridges and highways in Grant and Tucker counties and to
issue dust pollution permits in order to facilitate delivery of
out-of-state coal to an out-of-state power company."
Whereas, During January, 1996, after earlier reports that
Consol's Potomac Mine in Grant County had won a five-year renewal
of its coal contract to supply Virginia Power's Mount Storm Power
Plant, this utility announced it had combined the existing Consol
tonnage with the current Mittiki Coal Company tonnage, and given
the entire tonnage to Mettiki Coal for ten years; and
Whereas, This contract calls for Mettiki Coal, a Maryland coal
producer, to truck up to three million tons of coal annually over
West Virginia bridges and roads through Grant County and Tucker
County for ten years, adding some one and one-half million tons of
coal annually trucked to Mount Storm by other producers; and
Whereas, This deal will result in closure of the Potomac Mine
with resulting loss of direct mining jobs, support jobs, severance
taxes to the State and Grant County, as well as property taxes to
Grant County's Board of Education; and
Whereas, This deal will result in some 100,000 to 150,000 one-
way truck trips from the Mettiki Mine to the Mount Storm plant,
utilizing three West Virginia roads and one West Virginia
maintained bridge over the Potomac River, which represent hazards
to the West Virginia motoring public; and
Whereas, These trucks will be backhauling scrubber sludge from
Mount Storm to the Mettiki Mine complex under another contract Virginia Power gave Mettiki, which is a material that could cause
serious environmental damage if spilled into local streams and
waterways; and
Whereas, Virginia Power is also subsidizing this deal through
provisions of free land, free water and free electric power for
Mettiki Company's proposed new truck dump at Mount Storm; and
Whereas, West Virginians are being asked to subsidize and
convenience this action through upgrading and increasing weight
limits on the Wilson Bridge over the Potomac and related highways
by the Department of Transportation, the granting of a dust permit
for the new proposed Mettiki truck dump at Mount Storm by the
Office of Air Quality, and the transfer of three private coal haul
road permits from Buffalo Coal Company to Mettiki Coal by the
Division of Environmental Protection; and
Whereas, The House of Delegates is concerned about the policy
of transporting coal to Mount Storm at the expense of West
Virginia's economy and environment and the safety of the motoring
public, especially since Mettiki has traditionally shipped coal to
Mount Storm over an existing rail line which eliminates the need
for such special treatment of their coal by this State; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the House of Delegates requests the Governor of West
Virginia and state agencies to express concerns to the North
Carolina Public Service Commission and the Virginia Corporation
Commission, which have regulatory jurisdiction over the Mount Storm
fuel supply; and, be it
Further resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
foward a copy of this resolution to the Governor, the Division of
Environmental Protection and the Division of Highways.