Contact: Lee Ziesche, lee.ziesche@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. – In a major win for the climate and public health, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized four separate standards today that will slash air, water, and carbon pollution from power plants.
These critically-needed safeguards will improve air and water quality for families, particularly for Missouri communities suffering due to pollution from Ameren’s Labadie coal-burning power plant and the New Madrid and Thomas Hill plants owned by Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI).
As Sierra Club reported last year, more stringent Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) will likely require Ameren to choose between major retrofits to all 4 units at Labadie or retiring the plant.
“Today’s historic action by the EPA means Missouri families will breathe cleaner air,” said Jenn DeRose, Senior Field Organizer for the Sierra Club Missouri Beyond Coal Campaign. “Labadie currently lacks industry-standard pollution controls to reduce harmful emissions, contributing to 195 premature deaths annually. Ameren knew these Clean Air and Water Act updates were coming and took a large risk ignoring them, planning to run its Labadie plant into the 2040s.”
AECI’s New Madrid power plant is with Labadie among the most polluting and deadliest coal-burning power plants in the country, contributing to 90 premature deaths annually.
“For years, AECI chose to spew massive amounts of harmful pollution into Missouri communities from its New Madrid and Thomas Hill coal-burning power plants and would have continued to do so if the federal government didn’t force them to stop,” said Brian Smith, Missouri Organizing Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of advocacy for common-sense safeguards that will have a direct impact on Missouri communities living near some of the dirtiest power plants in the country.”
Over one million people submitted public comments on proposals to strengthen these federal standards, including thousands of Sierra Club members and supporters who urged the administration to adopt the most protective rules possible.
Sierra Club will be hosting an Earth Month People’s Parade and People’s Hearing on Saturday, April 27th at Ameren’s headquarters to call on the monopoly utility to transition from polluting, expensive coal to affordable, clean energy.
For more information on each standard please see the EPA’s release: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-suite-standards-reduce-pollution-fossil-fuel
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.