Jun. 24--In what may be a first, Virginia will determine if old power plants and factories are belching so much pollution they are endangering people and the environment.

If a plant is found to cause a pollution hazard, it will be required to reduce emissions.

The plants and factories are called "grandfathered facilities" because they were built before the creation of the federal Clean Air Act in 1970.

Because of that, they have faced less-stringent pollution requirements than newer operations -- and received considerable criticism from environmentalists.

"This initiative is a giant step forward in improving air quality in Virginia, protecting the health of our citizens and preserving the environment," Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday.

Kaine announced the review during a news conference at Dominion Virginia Power's Chesterfield Power Station, a coal-burning plant on the James River near Chester,

The sprawling 1,632-megawatt plant, in operation since the 1940s, is one of three operations that will be examined first.

The others are American Electric Power's Glen Lyn power plant in Southwest Virginia and MeadWestvaco Corp.'s paper mill at Covington.

Officials with the three companies said at the news conference that they were proud of their environmental records and were cooperating with the review.

The review is scheduled to cover 15 facilities over the next five years -- well beyond Kaine's term, which ends in January.

Under the plan, the companies will perform computer simulations that show whether their emissions cause the air around their facilities to contain unhealthful levels of pollution.

The state Department of Environmental Quality will ensure that those analyses are accurate.

"We believe this is the first-ever effort of its kind in the United States," Kaine said.

Frank Rambo, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, an environmental group, applauded the program as "taking a look back at the sources that have been polluting too much for too long."

There is no evidence any of the 15 facilities are causing pollution problems, said David K. Paylor, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality.

However, few machines monitor ambient air around the facilities, Paylor said. "If we do find problems, we will correct them."

The 15 facilities to be examined are the biggest of the grandfathered operations, Paylor said.

They include the Honeywell International chemical plant in Hopewell; International Paper's mill outside Franklin; the Mirant Corp. power plant in Alexandria; and Dominion power plants in York County, Chesapeake and Fluvanna County.

The main pollutants to be examined are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and such particles as soot and dust. They contribute to smog, haze and other ills. ------

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or rspringston@timesdispatch.com.

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