The Sierra Club has released a report entitled “Out of Control: The Deadly Impact of Coal Pollution.” The report examines the effects of soot pollution from coal-fired power plants in the United States. It reveals that soot pollution from coal-fired power plants causes 3,800 premature deaths each year. Shockingly, just 10 percent of coal plants are responsible for more than half of these deaths.
According to the report, the Mill Creek, Ghent, and Shawnee coal plants in Kentucky are amongst the deadliest in America when it comes to premature deaths from soot pollution.
The report also includes an interactive dashboard that enables any individual to determine the impact of soot pollution in their community and the companies and coal plants directly responsible.
Key findings of the report include:
- Only 17 coal plants are responsible for more than half of all premature deaths from soot pollution caused by coal plants.
- Only four percent of premature deaths from coal-fired power plants occur in the same county where the plant is located. Additionally, only 18 percent of premature deaths from remaining coal-fired power plants occur in the same state where the plant is located.
- Some states experience more harm than they cause from the soot pollution’s burdens, while other states export soot pollution and its burdens to other states. For example, soot pollution from coal plants in Kentucky kills 304 people outside of the state’s borders every year, while 234 people die in New York every year due to soot pollution from coal plants, even though New York does not have any active coal plants.
In response to the report, Drew Foley, the Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter Chair, issued the following statement:
“Coal power will always be a proud part of Kentucky’s past, but coal’s time is up. Not only does burning it exacerbate the climate crisis, but its particulate pollution continues to kill people. As a Kentuckian, I’m so disappointed and angry that our Kentucky utilities are far behind the curve in transitioning away from coal and toward renewables.”
You can check out the report below.
