Amy Dominguez, amy.dominguez@sierraclub.org
Phoenix, Ariz. - Today, Sierra Club released a new web tool that shows the deadly impacts of coal-fired power plants on the health of people throughout the United States. The updated Out of Control: The Deadly Impact of Coal Pollution - 2026 web tool provides county by county, plant by plant, and utility by utility data on the severe negative health effects of air pollution from coal-fired power plants.
The Springerville coal plant in Arizona and Arizona Public Service Company’s Four Corners coal plant in New Mexico are some of the worst culprits, with air pollution from each of those plants causing an estimated 10 deaths per year.
Since 2025, the Trump administration has slashed even more public health protections and prolonged coal plant operations, which will lead to more pollution and exacerbate the health impacts of coal. In January, the Trump administration also announced that it would stop considering the cost to public health when making future decisions.
Coal is the dirtiest form of energy production and its emissions into the air and water contribute to illnesses and impairments to public health like asthma, heart attacks, developmental delays, neurological disorders, and cancer, and these emissions can lead to premature death. Despite overwhelming evidence of the deadly impact of coal, the Trump administration has worked to bolster the industry by giving away handouts with taxpayer dollars, illegal bailouts, and gutting longstanding health protections to allow coal companies to cut corners.
In response, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr issued the following statement:
“The detrimental effects of coal pollution on public health have long been known to be life threatening, and yet utilities in Arizona have prolonged its use, including just last year when APS announced it was no longer committed to retiring the Four Corners coal plant in 2031. These utilities are polluting on the backs of ratepayers and to the detriment of our health while being enabled by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Out of Control tool underscores the significant impact coal has on our quality of life. To protect our access to clean air and water, a transition to clean energy is absolutely imperative – the health and safety of our communities can’t wait.”
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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.