Jun. 24--CHESTER -- Speaking in the long shadow of the largest power plant in Virginia, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced an initiative Tuesday that takes aim at one of the biggest problems in fighting air pollution -- "grandfathering."

The term, and the problem, is basically this: When the national Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, existing power plants, factories, paper mills and other industrial emitters were exempted, or grandfathered, from installing modern pollution controls to curb smog, acid rain and other unhealthy contaminants.

In Virginia, 300 such facilities remain in operation today, still spewing pollutants such as lead, mercury, soot, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. And there is little anybody can do about it, officials say, short of a change in federal law.

On Tuesday, though, Kaine announced a cooperative program that he called the first of its kind in the nation, in which state regulators will work with industry engineers to study specific emissions and other data at 15 of the biggest grandfathered plants, including four in Hampton Roads.

If the facilities are found to be causing major pollution woes in their regions, the governor said, the state Department of Environmental Quality will push for new controls "to correct those problems."

The first three reviews will begin later this year, Kaine said, and should be completed within 18 months. Each will cost the state about $150,000.

They will occur at the Chesterfield Power Station, the largest coal-fired power plant in Virginia, near Hopewell, owned by Dominion Virginia Power; the Glen Lyn Power Station, in Giles County, owned by American Electric Power; and a giant paper mill, in Covington, owned by MeadWestvaco.

Executives from the three companies were on hand Tuesday to say they have no qualms with the audits and expect to pass with flying colors.

"We've invested a lot of money" on anti-pollution technology in recent years, including $900 million at the Chesterfield plant, said Dan Genest, a Dominion spokesman.

"We think there's a desire from our customers and the citizens to know we're in compliance," Genest added, "and we look forward to being able to publicly say so."

Environmental groups applauded the move, too. They said it represents a good first step toward addressing a major loophole that for decades has led to hundreds of asthma cases, poor air quality and other public health risks.