Download families at risk from cheswick coal plant

Families at Risk from
Cheswick Coal Plant
Toxic Air Pollution Threatens Allegheny County
Burning Coal at Cheswick Poisons our Air
The Cheswick Power Station, owned by NRG Energy,
has burned coal since coming online in 1970. Because
the plant relies on old, outdated and dirty coal to
provide power, it is one of the largest sources of air
pollution in Allegheny County.
This plant is a major reason why Allegheny County’s
air exceeds multiple federal safeguards. Everyone in
the region suffers when air pollution is too high, and
it is especially dangerous for the 237,000 children
whose lungs are still developing, the 208,000 older
county residents, and the 280,000 residents with lung
or heart disease. For these individuals, dangerous
air pollution can result in lost work and school days,
hospital visits, and even shortening of their lives. This
plant must clean up its pollution so local communities
stop suffering from it.
Smog-Causing Pollution
Smog is dangerous form of air pollution that is created
when certain chemicals react with sunlight. Allegheny
County and six neighboring counties are currently
in violation of federal smog protections. Nitrogen
oxides (NOx) are the main pollutant contributing
to smog, and the Cheswick coal plant is by far the
largest source of NOx in Allegheny County.1 Despite
costly upgrades to control NOx, the plant’s rate of
NOx pollution remains higher than other plants with
minimal controls—meaning that the owners may not
be running these essential protections at all. If the
plant starts running its controls as they were designed
to be run, this pollution could be cut up to 90%.
Fine Particle Pollution (Soot)
Soot, another form of air pollution formed by burning
coal, is dangerous because it can lodge deep in the
lungs, causing chronic breathing problems, and even
lead to cancer. Pittsburgh has the 6th worst soot
pollution in the country,2 and Allegheny County was
recently found to be in violation of federal safeguards
for this pollution. As a result, the County Health
Department will have to adopt a plan for bringing the
county into compliance, and that plan should include
strong limits on soot pollution from the Cheswick
plant. The plant’s soot controls have been around
since it opened in 1970, and there is better technology
available to cut soot pollution, which the plant should
utilize. There is currently a nuisance lawsuit being
brought against the plant by nearby residents whose
homes and property are constantly being coated with
ash and soot.3
Sulfur Dioxide Pollution
Sulfur dioxide pollution (SO2) triggers asthma attacks,
and causes difficulty breathing and respiratory illness.
Exposure to SO2 pollution for as little as five minutes
can make it hard for a person to breathe, and high
levels can send people to the emergency room. Even
though the Cheswick plant installed costly controls
to cut its dangerous sulfur pollution by 90%, the
-is it possible to adjust the shading on the map so that geographic markers are easier to see?
colors it’s difficult to tell what the places are. it seems lighter than on other maps you guys ha
S U L F U R D I O X I D E F R O M T H E C H E S W I C K C O A L P L A N T T H R E AT E N S A L L E G H E N Y C O .
CHESWICK POWER STATION
All shaded areas are at risk
of violating the EPA’s one-hour
sulfur dioxide pollution limits.
196
300
400
500
600
1-HOUR AVERAGE SO2 CONCENTRATIONS
MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER
The model represents how much pollution
the plant is currently allowed to emit. It was
conducted by a third-party engineering firm
using EPA’s modeling protocols and publicly
available data.
2 mi
plant was still the largest source of that pollution in
Allegheny County in 2013. The plant’s permit is still
so lax that it would allow SO2 pollution to increase
10-fold compared to 2013 levels. Although the permit
requires that sulfur pollution controls be operated,
there is no way to guarantee optimal results without
stricter protections. In fact, Cheswick’s sulfur pollution
nearly tripled between 2013 and 2014.
Expiring Air Pollution Permit
Cheswick’s permit that limits all these pollutants,
known as a Title V permit, expires at the end of 2015.
The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD)
will be renewing it during the summer and fall of 2015,
and there will be opportunities for public comment.
Strong pollution protections from the ACHD will
reduce health risks for everyone, especially the most
vulnerable groups including children, seniors, and
individuals with respiratory problems.
Please join us in telling ACHD to improve protections
against all these pollutants to ensure that public
health is priority number one, and that families in the
region are able to breathe clean, healthy air.
Learn how you can get involved by contacting
Randy Francisco at [email protected] or
call (412) 802-6161.
endnotes
1 PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, 2013 data: http://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eFACTSWeb/criteria_facilityemissions.aspx
2 American Lung Association, 2014 State of the Air report.
3 Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 8/20/13: “Federal appeals court reinstates lawsuit against Pennsylvania coal-fired power plant”
Sierra Club Pittsburgh
425 N. Craig St, Suite 202
Pittsburgh PA 15213
(412) 802-6161
facebook.com/PASierraClub
@SierraClubPA