During the pre-construction permitting phase of Longview Power’s coal-fired electric plant in Maidsville, WV, three national environmental groups – the Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited and the National Parks Conservation Association – collectively challenged an air permit issued to Longview by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

The groups questioned emission limits and the enforcement and monitoring requirements of the permit, as well as Longview’s plan to mitigate the impact of sulfur dioxide emission in national parks and wilderness areas in and around Appalachia.

The parties ultimately reached an agreement about the issues in question. In addition to reduced emission limits, the settlement established a mitigation fund to address acid deposition and greenhouse gases, and created a way to help local citizens and businesses mitigate air and water pollution.