Electric power plants are the number one toxic air polluter in North America, accounting for almost half of all industrial air emissions in 2001, according to a new report issued by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

The findings are part of “Taking Stock 2001,” the organization’s annual report on chemical pollution from industrial facilities. The report compares data submitted to the Canadian and United States federal governments by 21,254 facilities, which monitor their releases of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens and neurotoxicants to the air, land and water.

According to the data, 46 of the top 50 air polluters in North America were power plants. The sector generated 45% of the 755,502 tons of toxic air releases in 2001, with hydrochloric and sulfuric acids being the chemicals most commonly released from the burning of coal and oil. Power plants also accounted for 64% of all mercury air emissions, mainly from coal combustion.

Overall in North America, air releases decreased by 18% from 1998 to 2001. However, air releases, including smokestack emissions, continued to account for almost two-thirds of the chemicals released by companies on-site. For electric power plants, the decrease in toxic air releases was half the rate of other sectors over the same time period.

According to the report, in the United States, three coal-fired power plants reported the largest toxic air releases in 2001: CP&L Roxboro Steam Electric Plant in Semora, NC; Reliant Energy’s Keystone Power Plant in Shelocta, PA, and Georgia Power’s Bowen Steam Electric Generating Plant in Cartersville, GA.

These three plants each reported more than 7,400 tons of toxic air releases and were responsible for over 7% of the total toxic air releases in the United States. Reliant’s Keystone plant also recorded the largest on-site air emissions of mercury of any power plant in the report.

In Canada, a single facility is responsible for 8% of all toxic air emissions — Ontario Power Generation’s Nanticoke Generation Station. The coal power plant was also responsible for the second largest on-site air releases of mercury by a Canadian electrical facility, following TransAlta Corp.’s Sundance Thermal Generating Plant in Alberta.

“Taking Stock 2001” is the eighth report of the series to compare industrial pollution sources in North America. The report is intended to help identify opportunities for pollution reduction, and is based upon the pollution inventories of the United States and Canada. Mexico does not yet require reporting, but is expected to announce a mandatory and publicly accessible pollutant release and transfer registry in the near future.

The CEC is an international organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). The CEC was established to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and to promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The agreement complements the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

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