The dirty story of coal and electrical production, Charlie Wison

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The dirty story of coal and electrical production, Charlie Wison

The entire life cycle of coal is dirty and irresponsible. Our nation needs to stop building new coal-fired power plants, put an end to mountain removal mining, and reinvest in communities that have been harmed by coal. Here are some facts on the US coal cycle.
Burning for electrical production from coal:

More than 120 million tons of solid waste is produced each year from coal combustion.

Burning coal releases over 100 solid pollutants such as arsenic, selenium, lead, cadmium, chromium, boron, thallium and molybdenum in the form of fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and sludge.

Coal-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of air pollution in the US. Air pollution from coal-fired power plants cause smog, soot, and acid rain. This causes many health and economic issues. Smog pollution alone is estimated to cause $500 million in reduced crop production each year.

Coal-fired power plants represent the nation's largest source of carbon dioxide, the predominant human contribution to global warming.

All existing and proposed coal plants release 100% of their CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

In 2006, coal plants emitted 32% of the US's carbon dioxide emissions, about the same emissions as from cars, trucks, buses, trains, planes and boats combined.

Even the newest and most efficient coal plants emit more than twice as much CO2 per megawatt-hour as new combined cycle natural gas plants.

Burning coal releases fine soot particles, which can trigger heart attacks and strokes, worsen asthma, cause irregular heartbeat, and lead to premature death. Soot, or particle pollution, is also the leading cause of haze and reduced visibility in the US.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of sulfur dioxide pollution (acid rain) and the second largest source of nitrogen oxides (smog).


Coal burning is the largest source of human-generated mercury, contaminating lakes, streams, fish, and humans who eat fish.

Most coal waste is dumped into landfills and surface impoundments where they can leak out and
contaminate water supplies (and have on multiple occasions in at least 23 states).

Approximately 39% of U.S freshwater withdrawals are for coal plants, taking water away from crop irrigation and human use.

Sources: 2002 Census Data, Sierra Club's The Dirty Truth About Coal, Union of Concerned Scientists' Coal Power in a Warming World, www.appvoices.org, www.EPA.gov, National Energy Technology Laboratory , Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook, National Energy Technology Laboratory
This is the future Congressman Charlie Wilson wants for Ohio?  I'll take solar, wind, and geothermal energy any day.

Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valley Green Party
Ohio Green Party

www.ohiogreens.org

www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/