A Year of Pollution

Riverkeeper — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:36:00 GMT

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a single 500-megawatt coal plant produces 3.5 billion kilowatt-hours, enough electricity to power a city of about 140,000 people for a year.

Each year the power plant consumes:

· 1,430,000 tons of coal filling 14,300 train cars of coal annually (40 per day). Coal transportation accidents result in the deaths of 450 people and 6,800 injuries every year.

· 2.2 billion gallons of water for cooling, enough water to support a city of approximately 250,000 people. The cooling water also contains 21 million fish eggs, larvae, and fish that are injured or killed in the process. 146,000 tons of limestone for air pollution scrubbers.

Each year the power plant emits:

· 2.2 billion gallons of cooling water. Cooling water is released back into the environment up to 25°F warmer than it was withdrawn, changing the habitat of the waterbody, and can be contaminated with chlorine and other toxic chemicals.

· 3.7 million tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the leading cause of climate change.

· 125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 tons of sludge from smokestack scrubbers. The ash and sludge consists of coal ash, limestone, and many pollutants, such as toxic metals like lead and mercury. More than 75% of this waste is stored in unlined and unmonitored landfills and impoundments.

· 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide is a major cause of smog and acid rain.

· 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is the main cause of acid rain, which damages forests, lakes, and buildings.

· 720 tons of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas and contributor to climate change.

· 500 tons of small particles. Small particulates are a health hazard, causing lung damage.

· 220 tons of hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbons don't burn completely, they cause smog.

· 225 pounds of arsenic, 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, and other toxic heavy metals.

· Trace elements of uranium. A study by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Lab found that radioactive emissions from coal combustion are greater than those from nuclear power production.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2008. How coal works. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2008. Coal vs. wind. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Santee RIVERKEEPER : Pollution

A Year of Pollution