The Health Case for Clean Air and Clean Energy
Few issues define the health of a community more clearly than the quality of the air we breathe. Air pollution, particularly the microscopic soot and smog that is emitted by coal-fired power plants, is linked to a range of health impacts from asthma attacks to cardiac damage and even premature death. Because the soot is made up of such tiny particles, it passes straight through our bodies’ defense systems and lodges deep in the lungs. This science is well established and much of it has been pioneered by national experts at the Harvard University School of Public Health and others here in the commonwealth.
Responding to this clear public health priority, Massachusetts has been a national leader in requiring our in-state power plants to make pollution reductions over the last several years. However, a landmark study released this month by the Clean Air Task Force reveals that health damage from coal-fired power plant emissions remains severe in Massachusetts and more reductions are called for to protect our respiratory health.
Cleaning Up
New England is at the end of the tailpipe on the eastern seaboard when it comes to air pollution. This means we suffer the impacts from the pollution that is transported our way from upwind states in the Midwest in addition to the pollution from our in-state sources. Researchers who analyzed the total pollution load and current emission patterns estimate that 251 deaths, 211 hospital admissions and 471 heart attacks are caused by this pollution every year.
The good news is that this is a problem we know how to solve, and have tools at our disposal to chart more progress in the battle against air pollution. Since 2004, the soot and smog pollution from power plants have decreased nationally by almost 50 percent, thanks to installation of nearly 130 power plant scrubbers and other emission control measures. These measures have been mandated through a combination of Clean Air Act enforcements and state power plant clean-up laws like the ones passed here in Massachusetts. And more good news: These pollution reductions have occurred without noticeably affecting electricity prices or consumer bills, natural gas prices, or the reliability of the power system. Even more importantly, the reduced pollution levels result in healthier communities, with an estimated 11,000 deaths prevented due to cleaner air.
This is real progress but there’s still too many of us who have our lives cut short from power plant pollution. At the national level, emissions from coal-fired power plants are expected to cause over 13,000 premature deaths, nearly 10,000 hospitalizations and more than 20,000 heart attacks this year alone. We can continue to drive down power plant pollution and these unacceptably high mortality rates through a combination of steps. With existing technology, continued enforcement of existing regulations and stronger regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency, we can make needed progress on reducing pollution coming our way from out-of-state power plants. There are hundreds of coal-fired power plants across the country that do not yet have modern pollution controls and scrubbers so there is still enormous opportunity to significantly enhance public health.
In terms of our own backyard, we can and must make additional progress locally. Asthma incidence weighs heavily on New England. According to recent research from the Asthma Regional Council of New England, nearly 1 in 10 residents in Massachusetts and throughout the region are suffering from the disease and thus more vulnerable to pollution. These are the highest asthma rates in the nation so we have strong motivation to press harder for clean air here. Coal is the most polluting of all the fossil fuels. On-going investments in energy efficiency programs and clean renewable energy will reduce our air pollution burdens while creating additional green jobs locally and increasing our energy independence. This new report reminds us that we’ll all breathe easier if we continue to make clean energy progress a top priority.
Cindy Luppi is New England co-director of Clean Water Action. She can be reached at cluppi@cleanwater.org.
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