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January 26, 2005
Contact: Arthur Stamoulis
(302) 691-0112 X 222
New Castle County Power
Plant Is Getting Dirtier,
Adding to Region's Air Quality Problems
Bush Administration Plan Would Weaken and Delay Clean-Up
Requirements
Wilmington, DE - Despite a recent announcement
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that New Castle
County is not meeting federal air quality standards for
fine particle (or soot) pollution, power plants in the region
are actually increasing their emissions of this pollutant.
A new report released today by Clean Air Council finds that
New Castle County's Edge Moor power plant and several up-wind
power plants in Maryland have gotten dirtier over the past
decade when it comes to emissions of soot-forming sulfur
dioxide. This finding comes as a key U.S. Senate committee
today considers a Bush administration bill that would delay
and weaken clean air requirements for power plants.
"Soot pollution causes serious health
problems, including asthma attacks, heart and lung diseases,
and even premature death," said Arthur Stamoulis, Policy
Analyst for Clean Air Council. "It is outrageous that
power plants in Delaware and upwind states are allowed to
just keep getting dirtier, when the region is already burdened
with poor air quality. This is a public health issue we
cannot afford to slip back on."
According to the report, titled Pollution
on the Rise, the annual emissions of soot-forming sulfur
dioxide (SO2) increased at many of the region's oldest and
dirtiest power plants between 1995 and 2003. Plants that
saw pollution increases over this time span include:
- The Edge Moor power plant in New Castle
County, DE increased its annual SO2 emissions by 1,139
tons, a 10% increase.
- The CP Crane power plant in Baltimore
County, MD increased its annual SO2 emissions by 20,099
tons, a 165% increase.
- The Herbert A Walker power plant in
Anne Arundel County, MD increased its annual SO2 emissions
by 9,935 tons, a 75% increase.
- The Morgantown power plant in Charles
County, MD increased its annual SO2 emissions by 18,785
tons, a 28% increase.
The Indian River power plant in Sussex
County, DE and two facilities in Maryland reduced their
SO2 emissions over this time period. But even when these
reductions are accounted for, annual SO2 emissions among
all power plants in Delaware and Maryland increased by 38,271
tons between 1995 and 2003-the equivalent of putting 13
brand new power plants online.
The Bush administration's so-called "Clear
Skies" bill would both weaken and delay by at least
a decade-until after 2018-the SO2 and NOX reductions called
for in the Clean Air Act. It would also repeal plant-specific
New Source Review requirements for power plants. The report
concludes that national caps on SO2 and NOX alone are not
enough to protect the health of local communities but must
work hand-in-hand with plant-specific safeguards, such as
the New Source Review program, which ensures that all power
plants eventually meet modern pollution standards.
Earlier this month, the National Academy
of Sciences confirmed that the administration's bill is
weaker than current law for individual power plants. The
Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean
Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety is holding on a
hearing on the administration's bill today; Delaware Senator
Thomas Carper is the ranking member on the subcommittee.
"The technology to reduce power plant
pollution is readily available," said Stamoulis. "Area
residents deserve the right to breathe clean, healthy air.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration's industry-supported
air pollution bill would set air quality back decades. It
gives polluters a free ride by creating a permanent loophole
in the law for the nation's dirtiest power plants. We applaud
Senators Carper and Biden for protecting public health in
Delaware with their continued opposition the Bush administration's
awful air pollution plan."
A full copy of the report is available
online at: www.cleanair.org/ontherise.pdf
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