September 2005 Power Plants and Mercury Pollution Across the Country NCPIRG Education Fund Made in the U.S.A. Power Plants and Mercury Pollution Across the Country September 2005 NCPIRG Education Fund Acknowledgements Written by Supryia Ray, Clean Air Advocate with NCPIRG Education Fund. © 2005, NCPIRG Education Fund The author would like to thank Alison Cassady, Research Director at NCPIRG Education Fund, and Emily Figdor, Clean Air Advocate at NCPIRG Education Fund, for their assistance with this report. To obtain a copy of this report, visit our website or contact us at: NCPIRG Education Fund 112 S. Blount St, Ste 102 Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 833-2070 www.ncpirg.org Made in the U.S.A. 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary...............................................................................................................4 Background: Toxic Mercury Emissions from Power Plants ..................................................... 6 The Bush Administration’s Mercury Regulations ................................................................... 8 Findings: Power Plant Mercury Emissions ........................................................................... 12 Power Plant Mercury Emissions by State........................................................................ 12 Power Plant Mercury Emissions by County and Zip Code ............................................... 12 Power Plant Mercury Emissions by Facility.................................................................... 15 Power Plant Mercury Emissions by Company ................................................................. 16 Solving the Problem at the Source: Reducing Power Plant Mercury Emissions ...................... 18 Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 21 Methodology........................................................................................................................ 21 Appendices Appendix A.1. 100 Counties with Highest Power Plant Mercury Air Emissions, 2003......................................22 Appendix A.2. County in Each State with Highest Power Plant Mercury Air Emissions, 2003 ........................23 Appendix B.1. 100 Zip Codes with Highest Power Plant Mercury Air Emissions, 2003 ....................................24 Appendix B.2. Zip Code in Each State with Highest Power Plant Mercury Air Emissions, 2003......................25 Appendix C.1. All Power Plants Reporting Mercury Air Emissions, 2003 ........................................................26 Appendix C.2. Power Plant in Each State with Highest Mercury Air Emissions, 2003.....................................37 Appendix D. Power Plant Mercury Air Emissions by Company, 2003 .............................................................39 End Notes............................................................................................................................ 42 Made in the U.S.A. 3 Executive Summary Power plants are the largest industrial people to avoid or limit their consumption source of U.S. air emissions of mercury, a of certain types of fish. Moreover, EPA potent neurotoxin that poses serious scientists estimate that one in six women health hazards. Mercury is particularly of childbearing age has enough mercury in harmful to the developing brain; even low- her blood to put her child at risk should level exposure can cause learning she become pregnant. disabilities, developmental delays, lowered IQ, and problems with attention and This report analyzes the most recent EPA memory. While current law requires swift, data on mercury air emissions from power steep reductions in power plant mercury plants. Key findings in the report include emissions, the Bush administration the following: recently promulgated regulations that allow power plants to avoid the Clean Air ¾ Power plants in the U.S. collectively Act requirement to reduce mercury and emitted 90,108 pounds of mercury into other toxic air pollutants quickly and by the air in 2003. Texas, Ohio, the maximum achievable amount. This Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Alabama report uses the most recent available data were the states with the most mercury reported to the U.S. Environmental air emissions from power plants in Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxics Release 2003. Inventory to analyze power plant mercury emissions by state, county, zip code, ¾ Counties with the highest mercury air facility, and company. emissions from power plants were concentrated in states in the Gulf When power plants burn coal or wastes Coast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic containing mercury, their smokestacks regions. More than half of the top 50 emit mercury, some of which is washed out counties with the highest mercury air of the air onto land and into waterways, emissions were located in just seven where it may be converted into states: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, methylmercury, an organic form of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West mercury that builds up in fish. Scientists Virginia. In the top county, found that a gram of mercury, about a Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, drop, deposited in a mid-sized Wisconsin power plant mercury emissions totaled lake over the course of a year was enough 1,527 pounds in 2003. to contaminate the lake’s fish. ¾ The most polluting 100 facilities Eating contaminated fish is the primary emitted 57,242 pounds of mercury into pathway for human exposure. Indeed, the air in 2003, or 64% of power plant mercury pollution is now so pervasive that mercury emissions. Most of these 44 states, the U.S. Food and Drug facilities—nearly 60%—were located Administration (FDA), and the EPA have in just nine states: Alabama, Illinois, issued fish consumption advisories warning Indiana, Kentucky, North Dakota, Made in the U.S.A. 4 Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West 22% of total U.S. power plant mercury Virginia. Five of the 10 most polluting emissions. facilities were located in Texas. Rather than let many of the nation’s ¾ The most polluting 15 companies power plants continue to emit or even emitted 48,353 pounds of mercury in increase their mercury emissions, the Bush 2003, or 54% of total U.S. power plant administration should protect public mercury emissions. Three companies— health by rewriting its mercury rules to American Electric Power, Southern ensure the maximum, timely reductions in Company, and Reliant Energy, which power plant mercury pollution that the collectively own 57 facilities—emitted law requires. 19,694 pounds of mercury in 2003, or Made in the U.S.A. 5 Background: Toxic Mercury Emissions from Power Plants When power plants burn coal or wastes year was enough to account for all of the containing mercury, their smokestacks mercury in the lake’s estimated fish emit mercury, a persistent population.8 Moreover, because mercury is bioaccumulative toxin that builds up in a bioaccumulative toxin that is taken in body tissue. Rain, snow, and dust faster than it is eliminated, it biomagnifies particles “wash” mercury out of the air up the food chain and builds up in body onto land and into waterways, where some tissue over time.9 Fish at the top of the of it is converted to methylmercury, an aquatic food chain can have mercury organic form of mercury that is especially levels approximately one to ten million toxic to humans and wildlife.1 times greater than the levels in surrounding waters.10 Power plants are the largest source of mercury air emissions in the U.S., releasing The primary way that people in the U.S. about 41% of the national total per year.2 are exposed to methylmercury is by eating According to the Environmental contaminated fish,11 which absorb Protection Agency (EPA), while U.S. mercury from water through their gills and sources are responsible for 3% of global from eating plants, organisms, and other mercury emissions, 60% of the mercury fish.12 In addition, mercury can pass deposited in the U.S. comes from domestic, through the human placenta to developing manmade sources;3 about 30% of fetuses and through breast milk to nursing continental U.S. mercury deposition comes infants.13 from U.S. power plants alone.4 Deposition rates differ by region and locale, and A potent neurotoxin, mercury poses mercury deposition can be much higher significant human health hazards. near individual sources.5 For instance, in Mercury can affect multiple organ the southeast, the EPA estimates that systems, including the nervous, U.S.-based sources account for 37% of cardiovascular, and immune systems, total mercury deposition in Georgia, 58% throughout an individual’s lifetime.14 in North Carolina, 62% in South Carolina, Infants and children are particularly at and 68% in Florida.6 Moreover, a 2003 risk of problems associated with mercury analysis of EPA data found that in-state exposure because their nervous systems sources of mercury can account for 50-80% continue to develop until about age 14.15 of mercury deposition at the “hot spots” Exposure to mercury affects the within each state with the highest levels of developing brain, causing vision and mercury.7 hearing difficulties, delays in the development of motor skills and language Notably, even minute amounts of mercury acquisition, lowered IQ, and problems can be significant. At Wisconsin’s Little with attention and memory; these Rock Lake, for instance, researchers found developmental deficits may translate into that a single gram of mercury, about a a wide range of learning difficulties once drop, deposited over the course of a single