Curtis Tate, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Appalachian Power Can't Cut Tree-Trimming Budget, PSC Rules

In April, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power had asked the PSC to approve its plan to reduce the amount of money it spends to manage trees near power lines by $16 million.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission has rejected a proposal by Appalachian Power to cut its vegetation management budget.

In April, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power had asked the PSC to approve its plan to reduce the amount of money it spends to manage trees near power lines by $16 million.

That would have lowered monthly utility bills for about 500,000 customers by $2.

Last week, the commission denied the request, citing concerns about reliability.

The company has about 20,000 miles of transmission lines in West Virginia.

The PSC will hear another Appalachian Power case in October. The company is asking for a $297 million rate increase to offset the higher cost of coal and natural gas.

Residents and local governments have filed comments in opposition to the plan.

If the commission approves the request, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power customers can expect their monthly charges to increase by about $18.

Appalachian Power is an underwriter of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

State Repairing Bridges, Culverts Damaged By Heavy Rainfall

The state’s Division of Highways is working to repair roads damaged in Monday’s heavy rainfall in Fayette and Kanawha counties.

The West Virginia Division of Highways is working to repair roads damaged in Monday’s heavy rainfall in Fayette and Kanawha counties.

Crews are building a temporary bridge on Carbondale Road in Smithers to replace one that was washed out, cutting off access to several residents.

The cleanup of West Virginia Route 16 continues. The road was blocked by a “soupy material” coming off a hillside. Crews were able to open a lane for emergency vehicles.

Division of Highways personnel are also working at Scrabble Creek Road near Gauley Bridge.

In Kanawha County, they’re clearing ditches and culverts in the Hughes Creek, Kelley’s Creek and Campbell’s Creek areas. More significant repairs may be needed.

Kanawha County is collecting flood debris through Sunday. Residents who have property damage should call the county’s Planning and Development Office at 304-357-0570.

Mon Power Reaches Settlement To Keep 2 Coal Plants In Operation

The settlement, which is pending approval by the state Public Service Commission, will upgrade wastewater treatment at the Fort Martin and Harrison power plants.

Mon Power has reached a settlement to keep its two West Virginia power plants operating past 2028.

The settlement, which is pending approval by the state Public Service Commission, will upgrade wastewater treatment at the Fort Martin and Harrison power plants.

The company’s West Virginia ratepayers will cover the $142 million cost. That will add 49 cents a month to the average residential customer’s bill of 1,000 kilowatt/hours.

Last year, the PSC approved similar upgrades for Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power’s John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell plants.

The projects are needed to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency effluent limitation guidelines for coal-fired power plants issued in 2020 under the Trump administration.

The Biden administration could make the rule more stringent as part of its push for clean energy.

It’s not known what impact that could have on any of the West Virginia plants.

Can EPA Still Cap CO2 Emissions After Ruling? AGs Split On Issue

The U.S. Supreme Court limited the agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. However, the legal battle may not be over.

The U.S. Supreme Court limited the federal government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. However, the legal battle may not be over.

Eight state attorneys general, all Democrats, wrote Michael Regan, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency late last month.

They urged him to issue limits for greenhouse gasses under another section of the Clean Air Act that allows the establishment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

They say that falls under the EPA’s authority and would not run afoul of the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v EPA. The justices ruled in June that the EPA may not regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and his Kentucky counterpart, Daniel Cameron, wrote to the EPA on Tuesday. They urged the agency to reject that approach.

Morrisey and Cameron were joined by 18 other Republican attorneys general.

WVU Study Measures Gender Diversity Among Appalachian Youth

The study, conducted with the University of Washington and Boise State University, attempted to fill in a large gap in data on gender diversity among rural youth.

More youth in rural Appalachia identify as something other than male or female than previously estimated.

A study conducted in part by West Virginia University found that about 7 percent of the young people surveyed identified as trans, nonbinary or some other gender identity not consistent with their sex assigned at birth.

The study, conducted with the University of Washington and Boise State University, attempted to fill in a large gap in data on gender diversity among rural youth.

“This is an area where we need to do more research,” said Kacie Kidd, a WVU School of Medicine researcher who co-authored the study. “We need to better understand how to support these young people, especially now that we are increasingly recognizing that they are here and would likely benefit from the support.”

Gender diverse youth are two to four times more likely to experience depression as their peers whose gender identity is consistent with their sex assigned at birth.

The findings, published Monday in JAMA pediatrics, were based on interviews with junior high and high school students.

A number of states, including West Virginia, have enacted laws that exclude transgender youth from school sports teams. LGBTQ rights groups are challenging those laws in federal court.

Chlorine Release Prompts Shelter-In-Place Order In South Charleston

The release of chlorine gas at the Clearon Corp. occurred Thursday morning, according to the governor’s office.

A shelter-in-place order was briefly issued in South Charleston early Thursday because of a chemical spill.

The release of chlorine gas at the Clearon Corp. occurred Thursday morning, according to the governor’s office.

No injuries were reported, and the order was lifted soon after it was put in place.

Clearon, based in South Charleston, specializes in spa and pool water treatment, industrial water treatment and commercial and industrial cleaning and disinfection products.

While local emergency management officials described the release as minor, chlorine can be deadly in higher concentrations.

Nine people were killed in Graniteville, South Carolina, in January 2005 after the derailment of a freight train released chlorine. A few hundred more were treated for chlorine inhalation.

Even exposure to low levels of chlorine can cause nose, throat and eye irritation.