Emily Pomilio (480) 286-0401, emily.pomilio@sierraclub.org
Philadelphia, P.A.--The state of Connecticut filed a notice of intent to sue due to the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to address a Good Neighbor Petition filed by the state in July of 2016. Both Connecticut and Delaware filed Good Neighbor petitions stating that the Brunner Island power plant, located in Pennsylvania, is interfering with the state’s ability to comply with the ozone safeguards in the Clean Air Act. Smog-causing NOx pollution from this plant has not only been contaminating Pennsylvania’s air, but also Connecticut’s and Delaware’s.
Both states’ claims are based on air quality modeling which showed that the Brunner Island coal-fired power plant’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have contributed significantly to ozone levels as far south as North Carolina, as far north as Canada and as far east as Massachusetts. By filing this petition, the states are asking EPA to step in and control this outsized pollution source that is affecting air quality beyond Pennsylvania’s borders.
In response, Thomas Schuster, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“We’re unsurprised that the Trump EPA is blowing their deadline to respond to Connecticut's petition, but we applaud the state for standing up for public health. It’s clear that there are real dangers coming from the Brunner Island coal-fired power plant and with the summer months approaching, it’s time for the EPA to step up and protect the health of Connecticuters, Pennsylvanians, and Delawareans by closing the Brunner Island loophole in Pennsylvania’s new smog (RACT) rule.
Currently, the Brunner Island power plant is unique among Pennsylvania coal plants as it has no controls for smog-causing NOx, and is one of the largest sources of this pollution on the eastern seaboard. Whether Scott Pruitt believes it or not, the EPA has an obligation to protect the health of all Americans and step in when facilities cause these air quality violations.”
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