Clean Air News

As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release.

TRENTON—As a key U.S. Senate committee considers the Bush administration’s bill to delay and weaken clean air safeguards, a new Clear the Air report released today by the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG) finds that 75 percent of New Jersey’s oldest and dirtiest power plants are getting dirtier, not cleaner.

“When it comes to power plant pollution, many of New Jersey’s dirtiest power plants just keep getting dirtier,” said Emily Rusch from NJPIRG. “Pollution from power plants fuels global warming and causes serious health problems, including asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, and even premature deaths.”

New Jersey routinely tops national lists for unhealthy soot and smog pollution from power plants and transportation. Most recently, in December 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that 13 New Jersey counties have unhealthy levels of fine particle soot.

According to the new report, annual soot-forming sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions increased at many of New Jersey’s oldest and dirtiest power plants and 24 percent on average statewide from 1995 to 2003. Smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions decreased statewide, but increased at PSEG’s Hudson plant. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the largest contributor to global warming, increased at most power plants and 25percent on average statewide. There are no limits on carbon dioxide pollution.

“We already have some of the unhealthiest air in the nation, so it’s outrageous that we are allowing our dirtiest power plants to increase pollution. These unhealthy levels of pollution are exactly why New Jersey needs more clean energy like wind and solar power,” said Rusch.

“Pollution on the Rise: Local Trends in Power Plant Pollution” examines U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data on power plant emissions of CO2, SO2, and NOx since 1995. Key findings include:

- 67percent of the state’s dirtiest power plants increased their annual CO2 emissions from 1995 to 2003. The cumulative increase in emissions is equivalent to putting 818,947 more average cars on New Jersey’s roads.

- 75percent of the state’s dirtiest power plants increased their annual soot-forming SO2 emissions from 1995 to 2003. The cumulative increase in emissions is equivalent to building 5 typical new power plants in the state.

- PSEG’s Bergen power plant in Ridgefield Park increased its annual CO2 emissions by 435 percent percent (1,323,781 tons) from 1995 to 2003. The increased CO2 emissions at this plant are equivalent to putting 231,228 more average cars on New Jersey’s roads.

- PSEG’s Hudson power plant in Jersey City increased its annual SO2 emissions by 163 percent (10,667 tons) from 1995 to 2003. The increased SO2 emissions at this plant are equivalent to building 4 typical new power plants in the state.

- PSEG’s Mercer power plant in Hamilton increased its annual SO2 emissions by 49 percent from 1995 to 2003. The increased SO2 emissions at this plant are equivalent to building 1.5 typical new power plants in the state.

- Both the Hudson power plant and Mercer power plant are located in areas that violate the national health standard for fine particle soot. PSEG is scheduled to install better pollution controls for soot pollution at Hudson by 2006, but not until 2012 at Mercer.

The report concludes that the national cap and trade programs on SO2 and NOx alone are not enough to protect the health of local communities but must work hand-in-hand with plant-specific safeguards, such as the New Source Review program, which ensures that all power plants eventually meet modern pollution standards. In order to protect public health in communities like Jersey City and Hamilton, we cannot allow New Jersey power plants to increase pollution when Washington state power plants decrease their pollution. The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety, which includes Senator Lautenberg, is holding on a hearing on the administration’s bill today.

NJPIRG is also advocating that the Codey Administration increase requirements on New Jersey’s power companies, so that by 2020, 20 percent of New Jersey’s energy is produced from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar power. A recent study by Rutgers University concludes that an increase to 20 percent clean energy will have benefits for New Jersey’s economy. Now that the study has been completed, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is planning to hold hearings this spring to adopt higher clean energy standards.

“A 20 percent clean energy standard will allow our state to phase out dirty coal plants. A future of clean air demands that we replace these dirty power plants with pollution-free energy. Our health and quality of life depend on it,” said Rusch.

NJPIRG recommends that the Codey Administration:

1. Adopt requirements so that 20 percent of New Jersey’s energy comes from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar power by the year 2020;

2. Reduce New Jersey’s contribution to global warming by setting limits on CO2 emissions that decrease power plant pollution at least 25 percent by 2020; and

3. Protect public health in local communities by setting stricter limits for soot and smog pollution from each power plant.

NJPIRG also recommends that EPA and federal and state lawmakers:

1. Enforce existing Clean Air Act programs, including New Source Review, designed to ensure that every community has healthy air;

2. Strengthen and finalize EPA’s proposed Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) to cap SO2 and NOx emissions from power plants in the eastern U.S. at 1.8 million tons and 1 million tons, respectively, by the end of the decade, as the law requires; and

3. Strengthen the Clean Air Act’s existing programs to further reduce all four major power plant pollutants.