Megan Wittman, megan.wittman@sierraclub.org
Sutherland, NEBRASKA – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) that will require the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to install a scrubber on its Gerald Gentleman Station coal plant in order to address the plant’s major contributions to haze pollution.
Regional haze is a major concern for 98 percent of national parks in the United States and the same pollutants responsible for this air pollution cause harm to public health. Nebraska’s emissions from coal-fired power plants, like the Gerald Gentleman Station, reduce visibility in numerous national parks, including Badlands, Wind Cave, Isle Royale, Voyageurs, Rocky Mountain, and Great Sand Dunes National Park.
According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Gerald Gentleman Station emits 30,889 tons of SO2, NOx, and PM pollution every year– the equivalent of 124 football stadiums (8 stories high). The NPCA additionally found that in Nebraska, more than 90% of visibility-impairing pollution comes from coal-fired power plants.
Last year, Sierra Club’s “Out of Control: The Deadly Impact of Coal Plant Pollution” study reported that NPPD’s Gerald Gentleman Station coal plant kills 56 people per year due to the adverse health impacts caused by the plant’s soot pollution, or PM2.5 pollution. Additionally, Native Americans are exposed to 21% more soot caused by Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) than white Americans.
Ken Winston, Chapter Organizer for Sierra Club - Nebraska, released the following statement:
“This is a long-awaited decision. For decades the Gerald Gentleman Station has polluted our communities and national parks across the country. We applaud the EPA for safeguarding the air we breathe and addressing the serious harm caused by Gerald Gentleman. NPPD should use this decision to improve both the health and economy for the people of Nebraska by transitioning to cost-effective clean energy sources that don’t pollute our communities.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.