Unhealthy Profits: How America's Electric Utilities Would Reap Millions From President Bush's Unhealthy Skies Initiative
Environmental Action
8/23/05
Executive Summary | News Release
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High levels of mercury emissions are threatening public health.
- Mercury, a neurotoxin, is known to cause learning disabilities and
developmental delays in children, and lead to an increased risk of
heart disease in adults.
- EPA scientists estimate that one in six women of childbearing age has
enough mercury in her body to put her child at risk should she become
pregnant.
- Coal-fired power plants are responsible for more than 40% of manmade mercury emissions in the United States.
Under
current law, coal-fired power plants must reduce their mercury
emissions by maximum achievable levels to reduce harm to public health.
- Power companies have many options to reduce their mercury emissions,
including investing in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency,
as well as reducing demand. However, even emissions at coal-fired power
plants can be reduced by 90% by 2008.
- For most power plants, activated carbon injected into the flue and
then captured by a fabric filter before it exits the smokestack is the
least expensive and best option for reducing mercury emissions by 90%.
- Installing mercury controls at all U.S. coal-fired power plants would
avoid more than $5 billion a year in health care and related costs,
according to a recent Harvard study.
The
electric power industry is fighting to weaken clean air rules rather
than complying with vital public health protections by reducing mercury
pollution.
- One company, Southern Company, spent more than $11 million on
lobbying costs in 2004 alone. Edison Electric Institute, the lobbying
association for the electric industry, also spent $11 million on
lobbying costs in 2004.
- Both Jeffrey Holmstead at the Environmental Protection Agency and his
likely successor, Bill Wehrum, formerly worked for a lobbying firm
called Latham and Watkins, which represents Cinergy and other industry
players. When the EPA wrote its rules to regulate mercury emissions, it
used language recommended by the firm - language ensuring that many
plants will not have to clean up their emissions until 2030 or even
later.
If
the electric industry succeeds in eroding the public health protections
built into the Clean Air Act, the dirtiest power companies will
unjustly profit at the expense of public health.
- Southern Company, the owner of 22 coal-fired plants, will realize
profits of at least $181 million and up to $469 million by avoiding
mercury pollution controls.
- American Electric Power (AEP), the owner of 19 coal-fired plants,
will realize profits of at least $166 million and up to $431 million by
avoiding mercury pollution controls.
Congress
should uphold protections to reduce mercury exposure and require power
plants to reduce their mercury emissions by 90% by 2008.
- Repeated attempts to pass or cut a deal on the Bush Administration's
Unhealthy Skies initiative (S131) should continue to be forcefully
opposed by Congress.
- Congress should also overturn the Bush Administration's recent EPA
rule by passing the Leahy-Collins Mercury Resolution in September 2005.
