Environmental risks associated with coal-fired power plants
"Today, the nation is facing a health crisis from power plant pollution. Every year power plants spew billions of tons of pollution into our air. Nationally, 50% of electricity comes from coal [roughly 95% in Indiana], but coal-fired power plants are responsible for the lion’s share of dangerous pollution from the electric power industry. Within the electric power industry, these plants generate:
- 97% of deadly fine particle soot and sulfur dioxide emissions;
- 92% of smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions;
- 86% of emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary global warming pollutant; and
- Almost 100% of toxic mercury emissions.
According to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March of 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for more effective enforcement of environmental laws: "When the original Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, the electric utility industry persuaded Congress to not impose strict pollution controls on old power plants, because they would soon be replaced by newer state-of-the-art facilities. Yet despite the industry’s promises, many of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest power plants continue to operate."
"Power plants provide electricity for our homes, businesses, and factories. But they also foul America’s air with dangerous pollution. Each year, power plants emit millions of tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), pollutants that trigger asthma attacks and contribute to lung and heart disease. Power plants area also major contributors to global warming, emitting billions of tons of carbon dioxide (C02) each year. And power plants emit dangerous toxins like mercury, a neurotoxin especially harmful to children and developing fetuses."
Carbon dioxide, sulfur, nitrogen oxide and mercury emissions from burning coal pollute our air and water. Sulfur mixes with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide (SO2), a chemical that can affect trees and water when it combines with moisture to produce acid rain. “Acid rain, formed primarily from power plant pollution, damages forests and causes lakes and streams to become acidic, killing fish. Acid rain also damages buildings, historical monuments and even cars."
Nitrogen oxide emissions cause other harmful environmental impacts, including forest and crop damage from ozone, nitrogen over-fertilization of estuaries, loss of fish and other aquatic species from acidification of streams and lakes, and reduced visibility due to regional haze.
"Power plants are responsible for 41% of the total mercury emitted by all known U.S. sources. Indiana has advised against consuming fish from ALL 35,673 miles of its rivers and 47,806 acres of its lakes due to the risks of mercury contamination. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, which, when ingested, can cause serious neurological damage, particularly to developing fetuses, infants, and children. Children can be exposed to mercury in the womb or through breast milk if their mothers ingest mercury tainted fish or by consuming contaminated fish themselves. The neurotoxic effects of mercury exposure are similar to the effects of lead toxicity in children and include delayed development and cognitive defects, language difficulties, and problems with motor function, attention, and memory."
References:
- Clear the Air, Indiana’s Dirty Power Plants, available at http://www.cleartheair.org/regional/in/.
- Environmental Integrity Project, Dirty Kilowatts – America’s Most Polluting Power Plants, p. 1 (July, 2006).