Douglas Soule is a Report for America corps member who covers business and economic development. CHARLESTON Two magistrates in Pleasants County have resigned and the county prosecutors office is under investigation over a holiday program designed to wipe Pennsylvania issued 19 new permits in both southwest and northeast PA. Ohio issued 8 new permits, all of them to a single driller (Ascent Resources) for two well pads in two different counties. 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. Pleasants County has a rich history centered in the growth of the chemical industry, Braun said in a press release. 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. Speaking during his weekly virtual administration briefing from the Capitol, Justice said he was pleased that FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiaries Monongahela Power Co. and Potomac Edison Co. submitted a plan to the PSC at the end of March to operate the plant for a 12-month period while it considers a more permanent proposal. Superintendent: Michael Wells And certainly more importantly to me those jobs, those good-paying jobs, that would be gone.. Im not surprised at all; its been on the chopping block for years, he said. Bailey has lived in Pleasants County long enough to remember life before the power plant. 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. Superintendent: Michael Wells ; Schools . But it would certainly be tragic. The State Public Service Commission is deciding what should be done with the Pleasants Power Station. Among them, Pleasants employs 154 people and provides $1.75 million annually to the county in property taxes. All data on this site is obtained directly from law enforcement agencies in their respective states and counties, and is public domain. Pleasants County Arrest Info; Some of the cities, towns, and places in Pleasants County are Arvilla, Calcutta, City of Belmont, City of St. Marys, Hebron, Pine Grove, Vaucluse Pleasants County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. 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. Will Trump Back Justice, Mooney or None of the Above. County Magistrate Clerk Pam Cox confirmed the two stepped down last A company called West Virginia Methanol Inc. has selected a site in Pleasants County, WV to develop to build a $350 million methanol plant. Justice said now that Mon Power and Potomac Edisons cards were on the table, it was important for the PSC to review their proposal. But Im glad we have a delta rather than before when all we had before was were considering it. Now weve at least got a delta.. The chosen site formerly housed an industrial plant. A company called West Virginia Methanol says it plans a $350-million plant in Pleasants County, resulting in 30 jobs. 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. When the records room for a given county starts to be overrun with researchers, thats a sure sign that Marcellus (or Utica) Shale drilling is on the way. Those entities that have inquired have been very forthright, and said they would love for the workers that are there to continue to work for them, Powell said. Justice orders flags at half-staff on Saturday in honor of Upshur County Sheriff Virgil Douglas Miller. The presentation reinforced in my mind how important it is to my constituents that we maintain electricity during these winter storms, he said. According to a source with direct knowledge of the investigation who declined to be identified, the Pleasants County Prosecutors Office got involved with the program three years ago. And coal is a distant fourth.. Just a single AP story currently running in dozens of newspapers and in other media outlets/websites across the country. Idling Pleasants will cost the state millions of dollars in severance tax. On Monday, the West Virginia Public Service Commission gave Mon Power and Potomac Edison the go-ahead to negotiate a deal to keep the Pleasants plant from shutting down next month. WebWelcome to the Pleasants County Assessors Website Here you will find information about this office and resources on property and taxes here in Pleasants County. Do Not Sell My Personal Information If he loses his job at the plant, Renner doesnt plan to leave the county or move away from his family farm there. The ages, races, and population density of Pleasants County, West Virginia tell To the best of our knowledge, no one personally benefited in any way other than the individual motor vehicle operator and members of the community who were identified as, or known to have, a family need or in need of assistance, Carr said. Continue reading, West Virginia Gov. 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. As a nonprofit newsroom, we depend on readers to fund our work. It would raise $36 million over a 12-month period, or $3 million per month. Officers returned fire but an autopsy is planned to determine the exact cause of death, said 1st Sgt. We dont often see Ohio issue more permits in a week than Pennsylvania. Pleasants Power Station The next few days will highlight arguments over how far the public is willing to go in saving a 150-employee West Virginia power plant. WebDiscover Pleasants County, WVs population & how it has changed over time. Your information regarding an ODC investigation of me is accurate, Carr said in an email Wednesday morning. In fact, it was one of the lowest overall number of permits issued in recent memory. You can read our previous coverage of this story here. West Virginia had three new permits, one in Pleasants County and two in Marshall County. [My son] worries about my job in a way that a 15-year-old shouldnt, he said, voice cracking, in a phone interview. 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. Opponents of keeping the plant open include a number of environmental and consumer advocate groups. Pleasants County already feels like home to us and we look forward to working with everyone to bring this project through construction and into operation.. Latest trends. 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. And to answer your final question, he said, we always need all the relevant information before us to make a decision that affects our constituents, and with this information that they are putting out to the PSC I would more than likely look at this in a different view. Van Nostrand said the news of the Pleasants plants possible closure seemed inevitable. From: West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. See All Posts . But that may change. Continue reading, All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week, but not a lot. Bailey has lived in St. Marys since third grade. 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. Earlier in the decade, it was all natural gas, and now wind and solar are catching up. 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. Authorities searching for person of interest in Huntington house fire. The multiplier effect of those jobs is enormous. 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. Continue reading, There was a decent number of new permits issued across all three actively drilling Marcellus/Utica states cumulatively last week. Theyre not going out starting big projects.. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. During the debate on whether or not Mon Power and Potomac Edison should buy Pleasants Power State and keep it running, whats not been 22-0793-E-ENEC can be sent to P.O. And the people who could lose their jobs from the plant and beyond might have to leave, creating a rip in the communitys social fabric. As a nonprofit, we rely on your help to power our journalism. ST. MARYS The Pleasants County Solid Waste Authority will hold its annual electronics recycling collection from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Earth Day, at the Momentive Performance Materials Plant, 10851 Energy Highway, in Friendly. A surveillance video captured an image of the person of interest. 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.. Instead, the companies submitted a request to the PSC to approve its interim plan to keep Pleasants Power functional, along with a $36 million temporary surcharge for Mon Power/Potomac Edison residential, commercial, and industrial customers in North Central West Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle. Live Feed . Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323. Thats huge. Ohio issued 10 new permits. That fire was extinguished before they entered the residence. The Knowns and Unknowns of the WV Senate Race, The EPA Prepares To Go After Fossil Fuel Power Plants Again. The PSC will hold an evidentiary hearing at 9:30 a.m. April 21 at its headquarters in Charleston to consider a proposal from Mon Power and Potomac Edison for the plant. The companies set a deadline of Tuesday, April 25, for the PSC to approve the Pleasants Power Plan. This site does not charge for viewing any of our published data, and we do not accept payments of any kind. If were not generating that money, then were going to have to look at [cutting] anything from programs to potentially some positions, Wells said. Severance tax revenue was a large part of the budget surplus the state accumulated last year. The victim of a fatal fire in Nicholas County was an elderly woman who lived alone. Fort Martin however, employs about 180 people, according to the FirstEnergy fact sheet on the plant, and provides Mon County $3.4 million in annual property taxes 26 more employees and just shy of double what Pleasants pays. Kenneth W. Brewer, 74, was found dead after a fire was extinguished in the structure from which he shot at first responders as they were putting out another fire at a nearby trailer, Starsick said. Not on Anteros website. The plant in Pleasants County is designed to produce 900 metric tons of high-purity methanol from natural gas each day. One other delegate replied but said he didnt feel familiar enough with the full issue to be able to comment. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. An economic boom followed. West Virginia issued 9 new permitsall but 2 of them were issued to Antero Resources in Tyler County. The PSC order provides that the temporary surcharge will not be placed on Mon Power/Potomac Edison customers until the companies and ETEM sign a letter of intent that must be approved by the PSC. But in recent years, theres been increased uncertainty about how long it can keep burning coal. According to two resolutions adopted by the House of Delegates and state Senate, the plant has a $400 million economic impact for Pleasants County and the surrounding Mid-Ohio Valley. None of the 51 workers on the towers scaffolding at the time survived the collapse. But asked specifically, the companies said this week in an email exchange: As stated in the filing and in last weeks hearings, the companies are unable to make any recommendation on the purchase of the Pleasants plant and respectively whether Fort Martins status will be addressed as part of any recommendation, as we believe additional studies and analysis are required before a decision can be made., The two legislative resolutions urging Mon Power to buy Pleasants cite the economic advantages to the state. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pleasants County, West Virginia QuickFacts Table (a) Includes persons reporting only one race (c) Economic Census - Puerto Rico data are not comparable to U.S. Economic Census data (b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories On April 27, 1978, 51 men climbed the scaffolding of their workplace to continue the upward construction of a cooling tower at the Willow Island Power Station in Pleasants County. Local News. Were just trying to feed [our] family, he said. Pleasants County Schools ; Belmont Elementary School ; St. Marys Elementary School ; Pleasants County Middle School ; St. Marys High School ; Stay Connected . The average customer would see an increase of $15 on their water bill under the proposed rates. They also argue that it could cost ratepayers more in the future to keep the plant compliant with current environmental rules and regulations. Copyright Marietta Times | https://www.mariettatimes.com | 700 Channel Lane, Marietta, OH 45750 | 740-373-2121, Your information regarding an ODC investigation of me is accurate,, 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,, 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., To the best of our knowledge, no one personally benefited in any way other than the individual motor vehicle operator and members of the community who were identified as, or known to have, a family need or in need of assistance,, Per the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure, JIC matters are confidential unless the JIC issues an admonishment or formal charges have been brought,, As of today, no admonishments have been issued by the JIC and no formal charges have been filed with the Supreme Court Clerks Office., Further comment at this time cannot be made so that the investigation can be completed without impact from any form of printed or social media comment,, 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.. He paused, excused his tears and took a deep breath. Public lands or private profit? The state Public Service Commissions Consumer Advocate Divisionrecommended both actions: run Pleasants and close Fort Martin. Cana Turner, 21, was allegedly behind the wheel of the car when it wrecked on Henry Camp Road. Woods County Clerk Mark Rhodes says hes been told researchers have descended on neighboring Pleasants County (northeast of Woods) and that the crowd of researchers in Pleasants will migrate south to Woods in about six months. Coal prices have recently been over $100 a ton. She is listed in the North Central Regional Jail as a pretrial felon. Company officials said last week those negotiations are ongoing. And I hope that this company invests in the community as well, he said. Comprehensive coverage of West Virginia news. State issues, politics, and people making the news. Breaking stories from major cities and towns in West Virginia weather updates, global news, and business stories. Latest West Virginia News from West Virginia State News.Net 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). I cannot envision myself living anywhere else, he said. Obviously, youve got engineers, technicians and mechanics and all these specialty jobs down there [in the plant], said Pleasants County Commission President Jay Powell. Mankins said Turner and Hause lived together. The average customer would see an increase of $15 on their water bill under the proposed rates. CAD cited two primary reasons: Pleasants has better pollution scrubbers and better access to coal supplies. Per the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure, JIC matters are confidential unless the JIC issues an admonishment or formal charges have been brought, said Jennifer Bundy, public information officer for the state Supreme Court in a statement Tuesday. Thats sure to give the nutters in the WV Sierra Club heartburn. The total number of permits across PA, OH and WV last week were down by about half from the week before. For Doug Renner, leaving would be a last resort. Morgantown event to review legislative session, City Council approving changes to lease with GoMart ballpark, improvements for 5-corners intersection. It wouldnt be like the cupboard is bare by any means, he said. He wouldnt reveal any names, but said there have been three kinds of groups interested in the plant: companies that want to repurpose the facility as a hydrogen power plant, coal companies interested in keeping the plant powered by coal, and groups interested in doing the same but using the electricity for cryptocurrency mining. Published: Sep. 20, 2021 at 12:04 PM PDT. Online comments can be submitted at psc.state.wv.us by clicking Submit a Comment on the PSC homepage. In response to our questions, he said, The only question before me was concerning the preservation of the Pleasants Power Station and the many coal jobs associated with it, and I voted yes. PARKERSBURG National Day of Prayer observances are planned around the Mid-Ohio Valley Thursday. WTAPs Pet of the Week! You may opt-out anytime by clicking "unsubscribe" from the newsletter or from your account. Steve Adams can be reached at sadams@newsansentinel.com. 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. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. The West Virginia State Fire Marshals Office is investigating the fires. Already, Energy Harbors announcement along with the current high prices for materials has delayed a project for HVAC improvements at St. Marys High School. But he says its necessary to invest other resources in areas where the coal industry has been displaced, or soon will be. The threat of that closing down I think has got people kind of pulling back, he said. Ohio had just two new permits, both on the same Southwestern Energy well pad in Monroe County. The costs of the proposed bailout would fall squarely on Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers, as all power plants owned by regulated utilities are paid for by customers, including the costs of purchasing, operating, and maintaining the power plants, according to the group. As a result, the company plans to sell or close the plant next year.
