Something is happening.
There is something in the air, and it's more than the mercury, lead, arsenic, and CO2 from the Dominion-owned Salem Harbor Power Generating Station. In Salem and throughout the North Shore communities, there is an air of expectancy and hope that Dominion will announce a plan to cease operations at the aging power plant, allowing the elevated cancer rates in Salem and surrounding towns to decline and public health to improve. There is public outrage like never before due to the fact that the oil and coal-burning power plant was permitted to reopen after three workers were killed on the job in an accident--even though OSHA cited Dominion at fault for ten serious safety violations relating to the accidents. There is mistrust and bewilderment over why the power plant reopened at all, when there were no power shortages or outages during the six months that it was offline. But there is also a positive vibe, a budding belief in a vibrant future for Salem, talk of economic growth and stability, of job safety and abundance, of a greener, cleaner Salem. A clunker of a power plant is not included.
Got Vision?
There are options for Salem. Opportunities that can bring in far more in revenue and jobs than the paltry 3.75 million that Dominion is paying in taxes this year to Salem. There are possibilities that would not impact the health of North Shore residents.
What can you envision in place of the 65+ acres of potentially gorgeous waterfront? What about an environmentally-safe, mixed-use development that incorporates residential, commercial, higher learning and environmentally-friendly manufacturing? Mixed-use and multiple ownership would be a better deal for Salem. The city should not have to be dependent on a single taxpayer for such a large piece of waterfront acreage.
Without the power plant, our historic and otherwise peaceful natural harbor would certainly be a greater draw for cruise ships and tourism. We know that even a dozen or more additional visiting cruise ships would not be enough to close Salem's revenue gap, but they would provide a healthy and well-needed boost to the local wharf establishments and tourism industry. An absentee power plant would be more attractive to cruise ship companies and complement Salem's new harbor plan.
We think it's also important to mention the local employees of Dominion who work at the power plant. Salem resident and pastor Jeff Barz-Snell, in his July 3rd letter to the editor at the Salem Gazette said it well: "People in Salem need to
draw a distinction between the fine local people who work for the plant (three
of whom died last November) and the individuals making the real financial
decisions at the corporate offices in Richmond, Virginia. The local people are great and I wish
they called the shots, but they don’t.
A large for-profit corporation headquartered in Virginia owns the plant
and the City of Salem would be wise to realize that its best long-term
interests are not aligned with Dominion Energy."
Everyone deserves financial security and a safe job. We believe that when a transition at the plant occurs, a just transition on behalf of the workers must be part of the plan.
Important issues are often controversial, and we recognize that this is one of them.
We believe there can be positive outcomes for everyone--the City of Salem, the public health of the North Shore, the workers at the power plant--and even Dominion corporate. This can work for all parties if we explore possible solutions to a controversial, 56-year-old problem.
Email us: boldnewsalem@visionforsalem.org
We want to hear from you.