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The Gavin Coal Plant is America’s deadliest coal plant.
The pollution from this notorious plant contributes to a new death approximately every 36 hours, according to Sierra Club modeling.
Operators were forced to buy out the residents of nearby Cheshire who were sick (literally) and tired of the constant plumes of noxious gasses emanating from the coal plant.
The town now sits mostly dormant, a reminder of what was a healthy community and a remnant of a declining industry that grid operators acknowledge can be shut down without impacting the power system’s reliability.
Gavin hasn’t updated critical pollution controls called “scrubbers” in 30 years.
That’s like driving a 30-year old car: think about the improved efficiency we’ve achieved in that timeframe, with cars getting on average nearly 50% more miles per gallon.
The Environmental Protection Agency has driven standards upgrades across a range of industries, and with the power sector producing a significant portion of the country’s emissions, we shouldn’t shy away from requiring these highly profitable corporations from adhering to the highest standards for the benefit of all Americans.
Fortunately, the EPA has the opportunity to consider new actions that would make Gavin less dirty and with strong support from advocates we can help move it in the right direction.
Currently, Ohio regulators have proposed a do-nothing plan that essentially lets Gavin continue to operate as usual.
These regulators should have to prove to the EPA that their plan complies with regional haze standards under the Clean Air Act – and we’re calling on EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore to reject Ohio’s flawed proposal and require Gavin to clean up by implementing new technologies that control the toxic pollutants that are poisoning our land, air and water.
But Gavin isn’t only a danger to local communities – 80% of Gavin’s death’s occur outside the state of Ohio. The plant also puts at risk America’s best idea: our national parks. Parks across the region suffer from haze created by the plant’s copious emissions, jeopardizing iconic views and putting park employees and visitors at risk for exposure to ozone and other chronic irritants.
As pollution travels east, Gavin is a top source of pollution in Shenandoah National Park, causing hazy skies and harmful health conditions, especially for kids in the region. Gavin is also a core polluter in Mammoth Cave National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The EPA has until August 30 to consider the state of Ohio’s plans to meet regional haze standards.
https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2024/08/20/epa-gavin-coal-plant-usa-dirtiest-coal-plant-cheshire-ohio/74865922007/We’re asking Shore to reject the state’s weak proposal and instead implement a plan that requires Gavin to clean up its haze-forming pollution.
For years, the plant has been allowed to pollute nearby and even distant communities, and with a revolution occurring in the power sector, with clean energy and related technologies providing significant reliable and affordable energy, now is the time to consider the future of Gavin.