Pleasants Power, located south of St. Marys and Belmont in Pleasants County near the Wood County border, was commissioned in 1979 and fully operational in 1980. Pleasants County Solid Waste Authority announces electronics His dad worked to build it: he was assigned to help erect one of its cooling towers, but was in the hospital on April 27, 1978, when the tower collapsed mid-construction. How Pleasants County, WV Access to Abortion Clinics Compares to The companies would reimburse ETEM for the costs of maintaining the plant for that 12-month period, but they are also seeking a temporary surcharge to cover the costs of reimbursing ETEM to keep the plant open. But he says its necessary to invest other resources in areas where the coal industry has been displaced, or soon will be. During the discussions the companies have said they already operate two coal-fired plants Fort Martin and Harrison and dont see any customer benefit to operating three. From: West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. Opponents of keeping the plant open include a number of environmental and consumer advocate groups. West Virginia Methanol is working on permitting and final design details for the site. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Members of the public weighed in on the fate of the Pleasants Power Station near Belmont, which is set to be closed June 1 unless an alternative comes through. This reduction in funding would come at the worst possible time, said the foundations executive director, Sheri Fleegle. Its considered the deadliest construction accident in United States history. Pleasants But it would certainly be tragic. Not just [to] soften the blow, but to put a plan into place to create economic activity that will help long term.. If he loses his job at the plant, Renner doesnt plan to leave the county or move away from his family farm there. Pennsylvania had the lions share with 19 new permitsmost of those (10) were issued for two Chesapeake Energy well pads in Bradford County in the northeastern part of the state. Methanol plants convert natural gas into methanol, used as a chemical feedstock (raw material) to create other things, like gasoline, antifreeze, plastic bottleseven LED and LCD screens. It would be a crying shame for the plant to die, Justice said. Copyright 2023 West Virginia MetroNews Network. of Environmental Protection, which maintains the database, and they got it fixed sometime last night. We were hoping that would be there to offset, but we havent heard anything thats going on right now.. The threat of that closing down I think has got people kind of pulling back, he said. Beyond its 154 direct employees, the power plant employs thousands of temporary union workers during its maintenance periods, as well as coal miners in the Northern Panhandle who help supply the plant. So when a land records rooms becomes congested, you know its not long until leases are signed and drilling begins. Pepper, as well as WVUs Van Nostrand, cited one out of Centralia, Washington. Copyright 2021 WTAP. 22-0793-E-ENEC can be sent to P.O. Compressor Station Reduces M-U Flows to Gulf Coast, Southwestern Energy 1Q Added 13 M-U Wells, 23 Haynesville Wells, CNX 1Q Production Slides, Profits Soar on Derivatives, Sue-and-Settle: DRBC Bans Conventional Fracked Water Road Spreading, PIOGA Responds to Bill Raising Bonding Rates for Conventional Wells, WVU & NNE Drilling Test Well for CCS, Geothermal Energy, EPA Continues to Delay Approval of Class VI CCS Injection Wells, Other Stories of Interest: Mon, May 1, 2023, EQT 1Q Tug Hill on Track, Rice a Fan of Electrify the World. In an effort to provide a more localized view of how accessible abortions are to your community, Stacker investigated how Pleasants County, WV access to abortion Thats my feeling. The secondary schools those students attend could also take a hit. WebPleasants County Schools . Pleasants Power, located south of St. Marys and Belmont, is a 1,300-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Slow Down for the Holidays, usually conducted from October to mid-December each year, allows motorists who receive traffic citations to have those citations dismissed in exchange for the donation of a $50 gift card or the purchase of toys valued at $50 for holiday gift drives in the county. Not on the WV DEP website. Operating under the banner of West Virginians for Energy Freedom (WV4EF), they argue it is unfair to keep the plant open on the backs of ratepayers. I cannot envision myself living anywhere else, he said. All rights reserved. The B&O tax cut will hurt West Virginia cities. In Pennsylvania, 19 new shale well permits were issued across the state. They are urging Mon Power to buy the facility from the current owner, First Energy. He paused, excused his tears and took a deep breath. It was understood by law enforcement as an alternative legal mechanism to address only a narrow scope of criminal traffic offenses without any impediment to other government sanctions imposed by the Department of Motor Vehicles.. Here is the entire, very brief AP story with sparse details We need to plan ahead, Pepper said. Representatives of two power companies have identified additional expenses and the likelihood of a more restrictive timeline for taking over the Pleasants Power Station, which is set to close in a few weeks. We invite everyone to come and share their suggestions and concerns with us on April 20. See All Posts . One hundred percent of our energies have got to be toward either that plant remaining open as a coal-fired power plant or it being repurposed, he said. Pleasants County | Marcellus Drilling News ST. MARYS The West Virginia State Police are investigating the death of a Pleasants County man who reportedly shot at emergency personnel responding to a fire on his property Sunday. Pleasants Power, located south of St. Marys and Belmont, is a 1,300-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Pleasants Power, located south of St. Marys and Belmont in Pleasants County near the Wood County border, was commissioned in 1979 and fully operational in 1980. The ODC investigates lawyers in the state, while the JIC investigates justices, judges, and magistrates. As the state senator who represents the community that is home to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, if Im not willing to stand up for fossil fuel power generation who is? Pennsylvania received just five new permits, and some of those were reissued permits. Continue reading, A healthy number of permits were issued to drill new shale wells across the Marcellus/Utica region last week. WebNewsBreak provides latest and breaking Pleasants County, WV local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, entertainment, Hes running for county commission in the upcoming election, and calls the area a modern- day Mayberry, referring to the quaint and friendly town from The Andy Griffith Show.. None of the 51 workers on the towers scaffolding at the time survived the collapse. USAFacts uses Census data to break down the population of Pleasants County by race, age,and more. Pleasants County Explore Explore . 3 were here. Methanol is an important component for industrial products and feedstock for chemical companies. Thursday, April 27, will mark 45 years since 51 workers died when one of the plants cooling towers collapsed due to green concrete, considered one of the worst construction accidents in U.S. history at the time. They are pro-drilling, by and large, and when they get an idea, they run with it. More by Douglas Soule. Among them, Pleasants employs 154 people and provides $1.75 million annually to the county in property taxes. Pleasants Power, located south of St. Marys and Belmont, is a 1,300-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Pleasants County has a rich history, centered in the growth of the chemical industry, said Diane Braun, executive director of the Pleasants County Development All but one local legislator voted in favor of their respective resolutions which the Senate adopted unanimously and the House adopted 93-2 and a handful responded to our request for comment. The town of fewer than 2,000 sits on the banks of the Ohio River in Pleasants County. Instead of dismissing traffic citations for $50 in gift cards or toys, the county was dismissing state criminal misdemeanor charges in magistrate court from citations for passing school buses all the way up to DUI charges for as much as $1,500. A spokesman for the governor did not respond to a media request. DEP has already decided to issue a permit for the project. Next fiscal year, the Pleasants County school system is projected to collect around $6.7 million in taxes. MOUNT LOOKOUT, W.Va. The victim of a fatal fire in Nicholas County was an elderly woman who lived alone. Ohio had just two new permits, both on the same Southwestern Energy well pad in Monroe County. The chosen site formerly housed an industrial plant. We scoured our own MDN archives. Finally, West Virginia issued just 1 permit for new shale drilling last week. You can read our previous coverage of this story here. For Renner, his job at the plant has made it possible to offer his son that running start, like planning to help him through college. UPDATE: Arrest made following fatal Pleasants County wreck - WTAP Pleasants County, WV News - Local News for Pleasants County, Other power plant pollution contributes to local health issues, including asthma, bronchitis and heart disease. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323. It is premature to suggest jobs would be lost at one power station over another at this point. Thats sure to give the nutters in the WV Sierra Club heartburn. They also argue that it could cost ratepayers more in the future to keep the plant compliant with current environmental rules and regulations. Two FirstEnergy subsidiaries, Monongahela Power Co. and Potomac Edison Co., have sought to enter into a letter of PLEASANTS COUNTY, W.Va. (WTAP) - The future of the Pleasants Power Station has seen much public debate since FirstEnergy announced its intentions to shut the plant down last year. Plus, theres the pollution. Cana Turner, 21, was allegedly behind the wheel of the car when it wrecked on Henry Camp Road. Theyre not going out starting big projects.. As energy companies across the country retire older coal plants in favor of facilities that use cleaner, cheaper natural gas and renewables, the Pleasants Power Stations owner last month announced a goal of becoming 100% carbon free. City modifying lease with ballpark and upgrading a west-side intersection. Standing by and watching a coal-fired power plant close without trying to do anything to prevent it didnt make sense to me. WV We alerted the PA Dept. Im aware of the task or what its going to take supposedly from Mon Power and FirstEnergy and everybody in regard to keeping the plant open.. On the eve of a deadline set by two FirstEnergy subsidiaries, the West Virginia Public Service Commission gave its approval Monday for the plan that will keep the Pleasants Power Plant warmed up and its workers employed for 12 months, while ratepayers pick up the tab. The very first thing that happens is researchers must locate who owns a given property, and then landmen head into the field to get them to sign a lease. Carr declined to comment further, only to say that the Slow Down for the Holidays program is paused pending the outcome of the various investigations. WV community worries about life after its coal-fired plant closes I will allow my legal counsel to address any further requests for comment, and I will continue to serve the people of Pleasants County in the fair administration of justice.. If there was a resolution before me to keep Fort Martin open, I would have supported that as well. Jim Justice said Wednesday he still wants to see the Pleasants Power Plant near St. Marys saved, but it is Pleasants County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Carr confirmed Wednesday his office is under investigation by the West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel for its participation into the Slow Down for the Holidays program operated by the St. Marys Police Department and Pleasants County Sheriffs Department. In fact, it was one of the lowest overall number of permits issued in recent memory. The Slow Down for the Holidays community service program has been in existence for many years and has been utilized on a limited number of occasions, Carr said. CHARLESTON On the eve of a deadline set by two FirstEnergy subsidiaries, the West Virginia Public Service Commission gave its approval Monday for the plan that will The plant will no longer generate electricity, requiring new federal approvals in the future. Now, if the plant closes, he worries he might have to lay some of his employees off. Superintendent Michael Wells said if the plant closes, the Mon Power officials told the commission that they need approval by next week to impose a $3 million a month surcharge on ratepayers to keep the Pleasants plant from shutting down at the end of May. Im obligated to make this a successful place so my employees can have long-term employment. MARYS The West Virginia State Police are investigating the death of a Pleasants County man who reportedly shot at emergency personnel responding to a fire on his property Sunday. We are especially pleased to welcome West Virginia Methanol to our commercial community. Continue reading, Last week Pennsylvania issued just 8 new permits for Marcellus/Utica drilling, down a bit from previous weeks. The students are going to have a greater financial need in order to go to college if their familys income is reduced.. W.Va. PSC approves Pleasants Power plan | News, Sports, The PSC said the Mon Power/Potomac Edison interim temporary solution for Pleasants Power was reasonable. Officers returned fire but an autopsy is planned to determine the exact cause of death, said 1st Sgt. Chief Justice Evan Jenkins appointed Senior Status Magistrate Teresa Robinson to serve as magistrate in the county until 3rd Circuit Court Judge Tim Sweeney appointed replacement magistrates. Next fiscal year, the Pleasants County school system is projected to collect around $6.7 million in taxes. Delegate Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, said, I can assure you that in any discussions I was involved in, it was never mentioned that if they were to keep Pleasants Power Station open they would need to retire another plant. Energy Harbor, which owns the coal-fired power plant in Pleasants County along the Ohio River, is going carbon-free so it has targeted the plant for closure at the end of May. The Legislature and the governor have endorsed the Pleasants purchase, but their endorsements did not take into account Fort Martin. Janet Kunicki/West Virginia Public Broadcasting Listen The debate over the Pleasants Power Station isnt just about the So says a single Associated Press article. Latest example: Barely a month ago WV officials announced they will lease the land under portions of the Ohio River, to allow Marcellus/Utica drilling (see State of WV Looks to Lease Area Under Ohio River for Drilling). Continue reading, #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }
ST. MARYS, W.Va. (WTAP) - A woman is behind bars Monday after Pleasants County authorities said she left the scene of As a nonprofit, we rely on your help to power our journalism. I would question why they feel they would need to do this, considering the fact that during the cold snap in December of 2022 they were close to mandatory rolling blackouts, from my understanding. The WV Dept. Superintendent Michael Wells said if the plant closes, the system could lose $1.3 million of that tax revenue annually, only some of which could be made up. In WVs Northern Panhandle, industrys legacy includes cancer risk hotspots, A possible new industry for West Virginia raises some old questions, Mountain State Spotlight explains: What to know about the West Virginia State Police scandal, Federal judge withdraws from West Virginia foster care lawsuit after involving lawmakers in settlement talks, West Virginia's foster care crisis: Lawyers representing children say new legislation falls short of fixing the system, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic.