New Report Investigates How Federal Clean Air Act Standards Could Curb Coal Plant Pollution

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A report released by the Sierra Club today reveals that by strengthening and enforcing federal air quality standards, the owners of 64% of remaining coal plants would be required to more stringently address harmful pollution from their facilities.

The report, titled “Under Controlled: How Federal Rules Could Curb Coal Plant Pollution,” analyzes the impact that strengthened and enforced Clean Air Act standards for ozone pollution, regional haze pollution, sulfur dioxide, and mercury and other toxic air pollutants could have on coal plants across the country.

Air pollution from coal plants can be reduced with a variety of readily available pollution control technologies, and the report investigates which coal plants would be required to install or upgrade pollution controls to limit harmful sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, or pursue retirements under strengthened and enforced air quality standards.

The report is also accompanied by a Summary for Policymakers and the Public, which includes  first-hand accounts from people living in communities affected by pollution from coal plants and highlights from the technical analysis. 

Key findings of the report include:

• On average, coal-fired generating units without controls for nitrogen oxide (NOx) and/or controls for soot are twice as deadly as coal plants that are fully controlled. Units that lack controls for sulfur dioxide (SO2) are more than three times as deadly.
• Generating units impacted by the rules analyzed account for 66% of premature deaths from soot pollution, as well as 68% of SO2 emissions and 65% of NOx emissions.
• By generating capacity, over 50% of remaining coal units that lack one or more pollution controls and 80% of units that are totally uncontrolled would face a decision point on retrofitting with pollution controls or retiring to comply with strengthened and enforced air quality standards.

"Coal plants are not only polluting our air, land, and water, but they are also making electricity more expensive and costing Americans more money than clean energy alternatives," said Antha Williams, who leads the environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Bloomberg Philanthropies remains committed to our longtime support for the successful Beyond Coal campaign and finishing the job of retiring the remaining coal plants in the United States to protect communities from coal’s devastating climate and health impacts."

"For decades, coal plant pollution has polluted our air and endangered our health and future by exposing us to toxic chemicals,” said Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous. “Coal plants aren’t going to clean up their own act, which is why it’s critical that President Biden and the EPA take the necessary action. Today’s report demonstrates the enormous opportunity the President has before him to ensure fenceline communities are protected, public health outcomes are improved, and polluters are held accountable for their actions. President Biden’s EPA must finish the job by strengthening and enforcing life-saving public health standards for dirty coal plants."