"Psst . . . Your pants are on fire"

Today is a court hearing regarding the coal plant.

Back in 2010 a few local citizens--aided by a local lawyer/blueberry farmer--brought suit against ODEC and the Town of Dendron.

The suit alleges that the public hearings that were held to approve the project were not advertised in accordance with Virginia law.

The suit has dragged on and on, with ODEC and Dendron filing motion after to motion to dismiss, add defendants, and more.

The last court hearing was way back in the spring. At that hearing, ODEC and Dendron alleged that the case was frivolous and that the local citizens were placing a financial hardship on them. They asked that the court order these locals (and the blueberry farmer lawyer) to reimburse them to cover their legal fees.

It's worth noting that the local citizens who have brought this suit are seeking one thing:

A new--properly advertised--public hearing.

That's it.

So, claiming financial hardship? Geez-o-pete. Just hold a new public hearing and be done with it already.

Anyway, at that last hearing the judge saw through this nonsense and denied ODEC and Dendron's request for reimbursement, ruled that the case was not frivolous, and declared that it was time to go to trial.

ODEC's official response?

"We are delighted that,

after a year of delay caused by the plaintiffs failing to file a proper suit,

refusing to add necessary parties,

and ignoring prior orders of the Court,

this matter will finally proceed to a conclusion on the merits."

And, yet, here they are...not going to trial "on the merits."

Here they are attempting another motion to dismiss the case. Another attempt to delay. Another roadblock to proceeding "to a conclusion on the merits."

Kinda makes you wonder why they don't want to go to trial. Or hold another public hearing.

In any event, doesn't seem like they were actually so "delighted," does it?

Well, here's to having this motion to dismiss denied, and being able to really move forward with a trial date.

I know I would be delighted by that.