Our Fact Sheet

Clean-up Dirty Power: Co-sponsor the  "Clean Power Act"

No other single source of industrial pollution causes as many adverse
public health and environmental impacts as old, dirty coal-fired power
plants. Pollution from these dirty plants cuts short the lives of more than
30,000 Americans each year and in some instances may shave several years
off a person's life according to recent studies. Act today to protect all
Americans from power plant pollution by cosponsoring the "Clean Power Act of
2001."

Power Plant Pollution

· Smog: Power plants are responsible for more than one quarter of all
smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions - second only to automobiles. More
than 100 million Americans live in regions that fail to meet health-based
smog standards. In addition, a recent study found that high smog levels in
the eastern US alone cause 159,000 trips to the emergency room, 53,000
hospital admissions, and 6 million asthma attacks each summer.
· Soot: Fine soot particles are both directly emitted by power plants
andare formed in complex reactions involving sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide.Scientists increasingly believe soot to be the most dangerous air
pollutant, causing 64,000 deaths per year in the US. In addition, studies
have found that soot may cause heart attacks and arrhythmia and that the
incidence of strokes and heart failure is greater in areas with high levels
of soot.
· Toxics: Power plants released more than one billion pounds of toxic
pollutants in 1998, more than any other industry except metal mining. One
of the most dangerous toxins is mercury. Power plants are responsible for
thirty-four percent of all mercury emissions. Just one drop of mercury can
contaminate a 25-acre lake to the point where fish are unsafe to eat,
making mercury contamination the most common reason for fish advisories.
· Global Warming Pollution: Power plants emit 40% of US carbon dioxide
pollution (614 million metric tons out of a total 1,526.8 million metric
tons).   Carbon dioxide pollution buidling up in the atmosphere is the
single biggest contributer to global warming. The latest report by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that global warming
threatens human populations and the world's ecosystems with worsening heat
waves, floods, drought, extreme weather and by spreading infectious
diseases.

Ending a Public Health Crisis: Support the "Clean Power Act of 2001"

For more than 30 years the oldest, dirtiest coal-fired power plants have
been able to escape the most modern pollution controls. In the process
these "grandfathered" power plants have been permitted to pollute up to 10
times the amounts of modern plants. The "Clean Power Act" moves to address
the environmental and public health effects associated with dirty power
plants. Introduced by Senators Jeffords and Lieberman, the "Clean Power Act"
will dramatically cut power plant emissions for four major pollutants by
2007.

· Smog and soot-forming nitrogen oxides would be cut by 75 percent from
1997 levels · Acid rain and soot-forming sulfur dioxide would be cut by 75%
below Phase II of the Acid Rain Program
· Toxic mercury emissions would be cut by 90 percent from 1999 levels
· Global warming carbon dioxide emissions would return to levels present in
1990

In addition, the Clean Power Act would require every power plant to meet
the most recent pollution controls required for new sources by the plants
30th birthday or five years after enactment of the Act, whichever is later.

 The House companion bill, the "Clean Smokestacks Act" has been introduced
by Rep. Waxman and Boehlert.

3) Action Item

It is time to Clean Up Dirty Power Plants

Cleaning up old, dirty, coal-fired power plants - the largest industrial
source of air pollution in the U.S. - is an integral step toward clean air
and a safe climate for our families. On Thursday, March 15th,
Representative Waxman (D-CA) and Represenative Boehlert (R-NY) announced the
introduction of the "Clean Smokestacks Act of 2001," while Senators Jeffords
(R-VT), Lieberman (D-CT), Collins (R-ME) and Schumer (D-NY) announced the
introduction of the Senate companion bill, the "Clean Power Act of 2001."

Power plant pollutants are destroying our health and environment by causing
acid rain, damage to trees and crops, contaminating our streams and lakes
with mercury, and inducing global warming.  Power plants contribute
two-thirds of all acid rain-forming sulfur dioxide emissions, more than a
third of smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, forty percent of the U.S.'s
carbon dioxide global warming emissions, and thirty-four percent of all
deadly mercury emissions.  Pollutants from old, dirty coal-fired power
plants are responsible for more than 30,000 premature deaths each year in
the United States, according to recent studies.

The "Clean Power Act/Clean Smokestacks Act" will dramatically cut power
plant emissions for four major pollutants by 2007.  Smog-forming nitrogen
oxides would be cut by 75 percent from 1997 levels, acid rain-forming
sulfur dioxide would be cut by 75% below Phase II of the Acid Rain Program,
mercury emissions would be cut by 90 percent from 1999 levels, and carbon
dioxide emissions would return to 1990 levels. In addition, the Clean Power
Act would require every power plant to meet the most recent pollution
controls required for new sources by the plants 30th birthday or five years
after enactment of the Act, whichever is later.

Act today. Call, email, or write your Representative and two Senators
asking them to cosponsor the "Clean Power Act of 2001." For more
information contact [log in to unmask]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]