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Polluted Power in the Midwest--Report Summary
- Coal power plants are the largest industrial source of cancer-causing
pollution in the Midwest, responsible for 51% of the total emissions.
- Measured as total cancer-causing pollution, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana,
Iowa and Illinois have the most pollution, and Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Missouri, and Michigan have the least, from coal power plants.
|
Cancer Pollution from Power Plants
|
|
KY
|
OH
|
IN
|
IA
|
IL
|
MI
|
MO
|
WI
|
MN
|
Total
|
|
65.51
|
48.97
|
32.84
|
22.6
|
18.2
|
5.58
|
3.774
|
0.46
|
0.386
|
132.744
|
|
Millions of pounds, benzene equivalents
|
- States with Toxic Air Pollution laws like Wisconsin and Minnesota
have significantly lower cancer-causing pollution and arsenic emissions
from power plants and other polluters than states that don’t regulate
toxic pollution.
- Measured as a percentage to total cancer-causing pollution, states
with the worst cancer-causing power plant pollution are Iowa (89%),
Kentucky (87%), Michigan (49%), Illinois (46%), Indiana (45%), Ohio
(39%). The cleaner states are Minnesota (18%) Missouri (11%), Wisconsin
(9%).
- Coal power plants released two-thirds or 66% of the arsenic pollution
from large polluters in the Midwest with Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, Indiana,
and Illinois having 94% of the emissions. Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Michigan, and Missouri have the least.
| Arsenic Pollution |
|
IA
|
MI
|
WI
|
KY
|
IL
|
IN
|
MO
|
OH
|
MN
|
Total
|
| % from coal plants |
|
99%
|
99%
|
95%
|
87%
|
83%
|
64%
|
47%
|
46%
|
18%
|
66%
|
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Pounds Coal Power Plants in 1999
|
|
6,421
|
861
|
109
|
10,855
|
3,117
|
6,262
|
1,404
|
10,937
|
0.57
|
39,967
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- Several studies link power plant pollution to increased cancer
rates, and many studies show power plant pollution increases asthma
attacks and deaths.
- Increasing energy efficiency, providing cleaner fuels like renewable
wind and solar power, and cleaning up dirty coal plants can reduce
this pollution significantly.
- The data is from industry reports to the EPA, 1999 Toxic Release
Inventory, and was converted to benzene equivalents by the www.Scorecard.org
website. The data was tabulated by the Sierra Club.
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