Noxious Emissions of Coal Burning Electricity Plants

    Jeff Johnson has an article entitled, "Stuck on Fossil Fuels", in the June 4 issue of Chemical and Engineering News. In his article, Jeff reviews a report by the Government Accountability Office, which is an investigating arm of Congress.
    Jeff's report indicates that when the Clean Air Act was passed by Congress in 1978, new construction of electricity fossil-fuel generation plants were required to install pollution control equipment. Plants built before 1978 were exempted.
    There are 1485 of these old plants, which is 43% of the total. The old plants produce about 45% of all fossil-fuel generated electricity, and many of these are coal-burning. These plants also emit sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide. SO2 and NOx are reactive gases. CO2 is non-reactive, and can be ignored.
    SO2 and NOx have been linked to respiratory illnesses and acid rain, contributing to premature death, aggravated asthma, and chronic bronchitis. However, concentration is always a factor in the damage a material could cause. There is little doubt that we want to keep concentrations of these two noxious gases at a low-level, but the question is what concentration. The information can be developed only through some significant health studies.
    It is likely that we already have a good idea of what concentrations would be permissible and still allow significant control of the health problems. We may already be at that control level. Unfortunately, EPA studies and regulations usually do not take those factors into consideration. The EPA tends to beat problems with a club. In this case, the EPA likely wants to push regulations to eliminate noxious gas emissions to zero. EPA also does not look at costs of any of these controls.
    Before we impose any additional emission restrictions on coal-burning plants, we need to establish minimum permissible concentrations relative to achievable health benefits and within a limit of costs. While the public will possibly be gaining in health benefits, it will pay through increased electricity prices. The track record of the EPA shows that it is not capable of directing such operation, in its present conformation and ideology.