Clean Air News

TRENTON—The vast majority of air pollution from the nation's dirtiest power plants is pollution that should be cleaned up with modern pollution controls under the Clean Air Act, but that would remain untouched under the Bush administration's new rules relaxing power plant emission limits, according to a New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG) report released today. Ten percent of the nation's oldest and dirtiest plants (54) are located within New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania—states on New Jersey's air pollution pathway. Last year, the 54 plants combined emitted 2 million tons of excess sulfur dioxide, and will continue to emit at least that much annually under the Bush administration's dirty air policies.

"By letting the heaviest power plant polluters off the hook across the nation, and especially in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Bush administration has dealt the health of New Jerseyans a devastating blow," said Jillian Waldman, field associate for New Jersey Public Interest Research Group.

Lethal Legacy is the first analysis of newly released EPA data on power plant emissions in 2002. NJPIRG's analysis showed that half of the nation's power plants, 548 of the nation's oldest and dirtiest, emit the vast majority of power plant pollution, over 90 percent. Five of the nation's oldest and dirtiest are located in New Jersey, 23 are located in Ohio, and 26 are located in Pennsylvania. Ohio is ranked first in the nation for both unhealthy pollutants and Pennsylvania is ranked second for sulfur dioxide and sixth for nitrogen oxide.

"These pollutants, and the soot and smog they create in the air we breathe, are known to cause serious health problems, triggering asthma attacks, heart attacks, and even causing premature death," said Jillian Waldman of NJPIRG.

According to the new report, about half of the power plants nationwide (548), are responsible for emitting more than 98 percent of all smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and 99 percent of all soot-forming sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution from the entire electric sector. These same 548 plants are responsible for 91 percent of carbon dioxide, the leading cause of global warming, from the entire electric sector. These old plants are still using pollution controls available in the 1950s and 1960s, and are therefore emitting 80-90 percent more pollution per unit of electric output than a new plant could emit.

By analyzing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions data, "Lethal Legacy" finds that in 2002:

• Dirty power plants emitted over 10 million tons of sulfur dioxide, the pollution that forms "fine particle" soot and causes asthma attacks, heart disease and even death. Research published in 2001 in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that this pollution may also cause lung cancer. Seventy percent of this pollution would be eliminated with faithful enforcement of the Clean Air Act. Here in New Jersey the dirtiest plants released 47,799 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions. Ohio and Pennsylvania combined released 2,021,445 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions.

• In 2002, dirty power plants emitted 4.4 million tons of nitrogen oxides, the pollution that forms ozone smog and can trigger asthma attacks. Research has shown that this pollution may actually cause asthma in athletic children. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of nitrogen oxide pollution from power plants would be eliminated with faithful enforcement of the Clean Air Act. Here in New Jersey, power plants released 25,821 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions. Ohio and Pennsylvania combined released 568,391 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions.

• In 2002, dirty power plants emitted over 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is more than one-third of total CO2 emissions from all sources. Carbon dioxide has been identified as the leading cause of global warming. New Jersey's dirtiest power plants emitted more than 8.5 million tons of CO2 in 2002. Ohio and Pennsylvania combined released 241,928,014 tons of carbon dioxide.

"It's high time to require old power plants to meet the same pollution standards that have been met by newer plants for years," said Jessica Ma, student from Rutgers University. "We would prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths from heart and lung disease each year," she continued.

While President Bush promised to clean up old power plants, including carbon dioxide emissions, during the 2000 campaign, he has taken two major actions to the contrary since taking office. First, the Bush administration's EPA issued controversial changes to the rules governing industrial emissions that extend the grandfathering status of older power plants in perpetuity. The report shows that these changes to a program known as New Source Review (NSR) will conservatively allow 7.1 million tons of soot-forming SO2 emissions, and 2.7 tons of smog-forming NOx emissions to go unchecked. These weakened standards under NSR will gut New Jersey's state statue that strictly enforces the federal rule.

Second, the administration's Clear Skies legislative proposal further weakens the Clean Air Act's programs for soot, smog and toxic mercury, while ignoring the threat of global warming entirely. Clear Skies exempts power plants from Clean Air Act rule that would require plant-specific controls for NOx, SO2 and mercury, while replacing those programs with pollution caps that allow higher levels of emissions over a longer period of time compared to current law. Moreover, it continues to allow power plants to emit unlimited amounts of CO2.

"The Bush administration's broken promises reverse more than 30 years of progress made under the Clean Air Act," said Waldman. "If the administration's policies stand, the public will bear the consequences in the form of respiratory disease, acid rain, haze in our national parks and global warming," she continued.

Instead of rolling back clean air protections, the organizations advocated stronger enforcement of the current Clean Air Act, and a comprehensive federal policy on power plant pollution to include mandatory reductions of CO2.

Yesterday, U.S. PIRG, Earthjustice on behalf if the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against the U.S. EPA for illegally weakening the Clean Air Act in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

In August 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized rules that carve out a broad exemption from the clean air program allowing the largest power plants, refineries, and other industrial facilities to make changes to their plants that increase pollution without having to install modern pollution control equipment, as has always been required by law. The lawsuit charges that this exception is illegal and will lead to increased air pollution.

The New Jersey Public Interest Research Group is a statewide advocate for the public interest in New Jersey.

Clear the Air, a national public education campaign to improve air quality by reducing emissions from coal-burning power plants, is a joint project of three leading clean air groups, the Clean Air Task Force, National Environmental Trust and U.S. PIRG Education Fund.