Victory In Landmark Clean Water Act Challenge

February 20, 2009

Press Release from Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League - Contact:Louis Zeller (336) 982-2691 or (336) 977-0852

League and Lake Residents Overturn Dominion Nuke Permit

Today a Virginia court in Richmond ruled that state
agencies violated federal law and that the water quality permit for
Dominion-Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear station is revoked.
Judge Spencer ruled that Lake Anna water quality is governed by the
federal Clean Water Act and that Virginia's Attorney General was wrong
in supporting the state's water permit.
This landmark decision favored the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League and co-plaintiffs residing near Lake Anna
by determining that the so-called hot side of the lake is "waters of
the United States." The Virginia State Water Control Board must now
go back to the drawing board to evaluate the adverse impacts of hot
water discharges to Lake Anna from the two nuclear reactors.
Louis Zeller, Science Director of the League, said, "We
and lakeside residents have long believed that Dominion is guilty of
thermal pollution; however, we believe that the greatest impact of the
Richmond court's decision is that the Commonwealth and the people must
reject the permitting of a third reactor at our endangered Lake Anna."
The League is conducting research to see how many other
power plants will be affected by this decision.
-end-

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League's Petition for Appeal was
filed in Circuit Court for the City of Richmond on December 28, 2007
pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 62.1-44.29 and 2.2-4026 and Rule 2A:4 of
the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The appeal sought
judicial review of the October 29, 2007 decision by the Virginia State
Water Control Board to re-issue Virginia Pollution Discharge
Elimination System Permit No. VA0052451 to Dominion-Virginia Power's
North Anna nuclear power plant Units 1 and 2.