The AP and Daily Press report:

Toxic discharges in Virginia declined in 2004 to 62.7 million pounds, a state inventory found.
…
“The overall trend is downward,” said Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Quality. “There are fewer toxic chemicals going into the environment, but we want to see that amount go down even more.”

Among producers, the Chesterfield Power Station was Virginia’s No. 1 discharger of toxic chemicals. The Dominion Virginia Power plant near Chester produced 5.38 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2004, the most recent year studied.

While toxics released onto land or into air were down 0.7% and 5.9% respectfully, toxics released into water were up a staggering 11.6%

DEQ spokesman Hayden noted that water pollution got worse because several factories increased production.

…

The Dailypress reports that the Chesterfield Power Station has made it a habit to sit at or near the top of the state’s toxic polluters. Dominion Virginia Power announced in November that it plans to spend about $500 million on pollution controls at coal-burning power plants in Virginia, including the Chesterfield plant.

The Chesterfield plant once again ensured that Chesterfield County was first among all localities in toxic emissions, with 7.16 million pounds of chemicals released.

This Appalachian Voice article by Steve Wusso outlines in clear detail how Virginia utilities have a history of making Virginians pay for their clean up operations in other states. Check it out.