Changes won't hurt state residents: ; Power company spokesman says rates will stay same

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Virginia Electric Power Co.'s $1.2 billion settlement of lawsuitsfiled by the state of New York and the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency will not have any negative impact on West Virginiaoperations, a spokesman for Virginia Electric subsidiary Dominionsaid. Dan Genest said the precedent-setting suits alleging clean-air violations and contributions to acid rain in the Northeast onthe part of Virginia Electric and other power companies in theMidwest and South effectively will improve operations at Dominion'sMt. Storm power station in West Virginia and the company's sevenother coal-fired power plants.

"We've gained a great deal of flexibility," he …