Environmentalists issue W.Va. 'Citizens' Energy Plan'

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://wvgazette.com/section/Breaking/000001386

January 10, 2008

Environmentalists issue W.Va. 'Citizens' Energy Plan'

(11:56 am)
Ken Ward Jr.
Staff writer

...

The environmental council said it opposes new facilities, subsidies, or other special treatment for projects that would result in a net increase in greenhouse gase emissions, increased mountaintop removal or other "irresponsible mining practices."

Environmentalists said that they would support Manchin's proposal, mentioned in Wednesday night's State of the State address, to encourage renewable energy production facilities on strip-mined land -- as long as the projects were located on previously mined land, and the program did not encourage more mountaintop removal.

"It's a fabulous idea to see if the hundreds of thousands of acres of West Virginia already laid to waste by mountaintop removal can be used for projects such as concentrated solar energy plants, as long as such plans are never used as an excuse to destroy even more mountains and streams," said Vivian Stockman, project coordinator for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.