North Carolina ranks 10th-highest and South Carolina 11th in a ranking of states with the most toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants, the Natural Resources Defense Council said today.
The advocacy group based its rankings on the Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 Toxics Release Inventory, to which industries report their chemical releases to the air, water and land. Physicians for Social Responsibility shared in the report's release.
Power plants are the single largest industrial source of toxic air pollution in 28 states, including the Carolinas, NRDC said. N.C. utilities released 14.9 million pounds of toxic air emissions, 49 percent of the total for the state. South Carolina's emitted 11.4 million pounds, or 43 percent.
NRDC decried efforts in the U.S. House last week to delay proposed EPA limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. EPA estimates the new limits, proposed in March, would save up to 17,000 lives and prevent 120,000 asthma episodes a year by 2015.
Duke Energy plans to retire many of its smaller, older coal-fired units by 2015 to avoid the expense of installing new air pollution controls. Duke and Raleigh's Progress Energy say "scrubbers" installed at their larger N.C. plants to catch sulfur dioxide, which forms lung-damaging fine particles, also capture up to 90 percent of the mercury the plants release.
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida led the NRDC's "Toxic 20" list.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Carolinas rank 10th, 11th for power plant pollution
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6 comments:
Wonder why the NC Attorney General doesn't sue Duke/Progress Energy over the coal-fired plants, like he did TVA for plants that weren't even located in NC? Could campaign contributions be the difference?
See comment in story.
"Duke Energy plans to retire many of its smaller, older coal-fired units by 2015 to avoid the expense of installing new air pollution controls. Duke and Raleigh's Progress Energy say "scrubbers" installed at their larger N.C. plants to catch sulfur dioxide, which forms lung-damaging fine particles, also capture up to 90 percent of the mercury the plants release."
Duke and Progress Carolina both went on huge modernization programs several years ago, ala scrubbers to satisfy clean air requirements with cooperation from the NC Legislature and the Utilitites Commission. This is called working together for a solution rather than making a big fight of it.
"Clean" coal is a myth.
"Up to 90%" can be any number between 0% and 90% and there is no clarification given about what percent (of mercury, in this case) makes up a "safe" amount.
If we are 10th or 11th on the list of top polluters, something obviously is NOT working, and if, meanwhile, our own lawmakers are attempting to hold off the organizations that are trying to protect public health, then something really and truly is wrong.
I like clean air, but I also like my power. Until all the tree huggers let the companies build new nuclear plants we will continue to see coal plants. I do
not wish to have a larger power bill than I already have. I can use a respirator if I need to. Move to Alaska if you want cleaner air
So, it took a study to determine that the 10th most populus state was number 10 for emissions? Same for Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. The reason New York and California aren't at the top of the list is because, while they vehemently oppose coal and nuclear plants within their own borders, they don't mind importing most of what they need from other states. How's that for integrity?
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