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Loopholes Allow Georgia Power Plants to Increase Emissions
Sulfur dioxide is closely associated with soot, technically known as fine particle pollution. These extremely small pieces of dirt work their way deep into our lungs and have been associated with a broad range of public health problems, including bronchitis, asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory illnesses.(2) Atlanta is home to some of our nation's dirtiest air.(3) A lot of the pollution comes from cars, as Atlanta's sprawling development eats up the countryside. Atlanta has been embroiled in a fierce debate over reducing its smog pollution, and steps are now being taken-including at Plant Bowen-to reduce this type of pollution. Unfortunately, smog isn't the only serious pollutant affecting Atlanta. "Soot pollution is a serious problem for our kids," said Dr. LeRoy Graham, a pediatric pulmonologist practicing at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "I treat children every year who are suffering from the effects of our rapidly deteriorating air quality. Soot and smog pollution play pivotal roles in this deterioration."(4) Luckily, technology is available to control much of this pollution. Recent studies have demonstrated that reductions of greater than 90 percent are possible.(5) Studies have documented the impact on public health of failure to install modern pollution controls.(6) Using EPA data and peer reviewed models,(7) Abt Associates linked fine particle pollution from those power plants the EPA found to be in violation of the Clean Air Act to at least 5,500 lives cut short each year in the U.S.(8) At least 289 and perhaps as many as 500 of these occur in Georgia.(9) On June 13, 2002, the EPA announced changes to the New Source Review program,(10) creating additional loopholes that will allow facilities like the Plant Bowen to continue increasing pollution without meeting modern emissions standards. New Source Review requires old factories, including power plants, to install modern pollution control technology when they make changes that increase the amount of pollution they produce.(11) This program, a part of the Clean Air Act since 1977, allowed older factories to avoid the expense of pollution control while requiring new factories to be cleaner. At the time, it was believed that old plants would close and be replaced with newer, cleaner ones. This hasn't happened, and people are being exposed to excessive amounts of pollution as a result. In 1999, the Clinton administration filed lawsuits against 51 power plants, owned by 13 utilities, including Plant Bowen.(12) The lawsuits allege that these power plants have broken the law by making changes to their plants that increase pollution, without installing modern pollution control technology.(13) In its suit against Southern Company (parent company of Georgia Power and Plant Bowen), the EPA alleged that the utility had essentially "rebuilt the engine" at one of their mammoth boilers without installing modern pollution controls, as required by law.(14) One of the changes to the New Source Review program that the administration is proposing would allow a company to spend up to 15 percent of the cost of the plant annually, and call it routine repair and maintenance.(15) This would allow entire factories to be rebuilt over time without ever installing modern pollution controls. Plants like Bowen could thus operate indefinitely, perpetuating a public health problem in Atlanta long into the future. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
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