Illinois one of ‘Toxic 20’ polluting states, data shows

Bill Knight column for Mon., Tues., or Wed., Sept. 3, 4 or 5


Illinoisans are exposed to some of the most toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants in the country, which makes the state one of the “Toxic 20” – one of the worst in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s study of states releasing toxic air pollution from electric power plants.

The consequences: Residents of the state could face increased risks of certain health disorders.

The Powerton Station in Tazewell County (owned by Edison International) released 212 tons of air toxics and 112 pounds of mercury – the 5th highest toxic air polluter out of Illinois’ 10 oil- and coal-fired plants, the report shows.

The study’s conclusions are based on statistics provided by industry itself to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual Toxic Release Inventory, a national database of toxic emissions including key power-plant pollutants such as ammonia, hydrochloric acid, mercury and sulfuric acid. The newest numbers available are from 2010.

The nation’s “Toxic 20,” in order – with worst first – are: Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Maryland and Delaware.

Illinois’ other coal- or oil-fired power plants are the Baldwin Energy Complex (owned by Dynegy) in Baldwin, south of St. Louis; Dallman (owned by the City of Springfield) in Springfield; Joppa Steam (Ameren & PPL) in Joppa; Joliet 29 (Edison International) in Joliet; Kincaid Generation LLC (Dominion) in Christian County, near Taylorville; Newton (Ameren) in rural Jasper County; Tuscola Station (SUEZ Energy & Duke) in Tuscola; Waukegan (Edison International) in Waukegan; and Will County (Edison International) in Romeoville.

Illinois’ electric sector emits 2,332 tons of toxic air pollution – more than 19 percent of the state’s total industrial toxic air pollution, industry figures show.

Electricity-generating power plants are the largest industrial (stack) polluter in the country, with their oil- and coal-fired facilities spewing 44 percent of all reported toxic air pollution from industrial sources.

Further, the “Toxic 20” states are responsible for producing 72 percent of the mercury emissions and 92 percent of all toxic air pollution despite those 20 states making up just 54 percent of the U.S. population, producing 50 percent of the country’s economic output and generating 62 percent of its electricity.

Illinois’ electric sector released 69 percent of the state’s mercury pollution, 0.99 tons out of 1.4 tons statewide, industry data reveals, ranking Illinois 12th among all states. Alone, Illinois’s electric sector emitted about 2 percent of toxic pollution from all U.S. power plants.

There’s good news, too. Illinois’ 10 coal- and oil-fired power plants cut 16 percent of their air pollution between 2009 and 2010. (The bad news is most polluting states cut theirs even more, so Illinois’ rank went up from Number 17 out of 20 to Number 16.)

Also, emission controls improved at the Baldwin, Newton and Joppa Steam plants, and Will County is retiring an older, less efficient unit there.

The future could be even better. Improved EPA standards should prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks, 5,700 hospital visits, 4,700 heart attacks, and 2,800 cases of chronic bronchitis by 2016, reformers say.

“The public health improvements are also estimated to save $37 billion to $90 billion in health costs, and prevent up to 540,000 missed work or ‘sick’ days each year,” the report notes.

That’s all due to the EPA’s recently finalized Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which require significant reductions in mercury and air toxic emissions. Compared to 2010 levels, the standards will reduce mercury pollution from 34 tons to 7 tons, a 79 percent reduction, by 2015. Sulfur dioxide pollution will be reduced from 5.1 million tons in 2010 to 1.9 million tons in 2015, a 63 percent reduction. Another dangerous acid gas, hydrochloric acid, will be reduced from 106,000 tons in 2010 to 5,500 tons in 2015, a 95 percent reduction.

Still, utility corporations continue to try to block the improvements, and some representatives on Capitol Hill echo their efforts to weaken, postpone or kill the improvements.

Citizens should stay aware, according to John Walke, NRDC clean air director and senior attorney.

“Do you believe doctors at the American Lung Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, EPA scientists, and dozens of peer-reviewed studies that power plants’ air pollution is very harmful and cleaning it up will deliver significant health benefits to all Americans, especially children?” he asked. “Or do you believe the nation’s most heavily polluting utility company, Washington utility lobbyists, and the ‘hypothesis’ of a conservative Congressman [Joe Barton, a Texas Republican] that this pollution does not pose significant health risks and controlling the pollution will not deliver real benefits?”

The report is somewhat optimistic: “As long as Congress and the courts allow the EPA to do its job,” it says, “the threat from toxic power will decline significantly in the future.”

NRDC’s 36-page report, “Toxic Power: How Power Plants Contaminate Our Air and States,” is online at http://www.nrdc.org/air/files/toxic-power-presentation.pdf