FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 9, 2007 Contact:Virginia Cramer, 202-675-6279 Coal Plant Settlement is Victory for Public HealthMajor Utility Agrees to Spend Over $4.5 Billion to Clean Up Coal Plants Washington DC: In a huge victory for public health, energy giant AmericanElectric Power agreed today to markedly reduce hazardous air pollution fromdozens of its coal-fired power plants- dramatically improving air qualityand reducing health risks to neighboring communities. After almost eightyears of refusing to clean up its dirtiest plants, AEP has agreed to cutits nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions- pollutants which causesmog and acid rain- by hundreds of thousands of tons. The move is part of a landmark settlement with the Sierra Club and otherenvironmental and governmental organizations, which also requires that allpollution reductions come from actual on-the-ground improvements, notpurchased pollution credits or allowances. AEP will spend approximately$4.6 billion to install extensive pollution controls on dozens of the mostpolluting units in its eastern system. "AEP is operating some of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants in thenation," said Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope. "After years oftrying to evade installing proper pollution controls, AEP is finallycleaning up their old power plants. The massive reductions in smog, finesoot and acid rain from these plants will profoundly benefit both publichealth and the environment." The company will spend another $60 million dollars to fund environmentalprojects aimed to mitigate damages resulting from AEP’s unlawfully highpollutant emissions over the past decade; AEP will also pay a civil fine of$15 million to the federal government for failing to install modernpollution controls as required under the Clean Air Act. Just over one-thirdof the mitigation funds will be dedicated to state specific clean upprojects, with funds also delegated to remedy damages to the Chesapeake Bayand Shenandoah National Park. "Dozens of coal plants across the country still lack modern pollutioncontrols- jeopardizing our air, water and health," said Bruce Nilles,Director of the Sierra Club’s National Coal Campaign. "We need to clean upthe dirty business of coal, making sure coal is mined responsibly andburned cleanly. But more importantly we need to start looking at cleanersources of energy that can meet our needs, while protecting public health,reducing global warming pollution, creating jobs and boosting the economy." ------------------------------------------------------------ The Sierra Club filed enforcement actions against AEP in 1999 under the"citizen suit" provision of the Clean Air Act, accusing AEP of violatingthe Clean Air Act’s New Source Review Program, which requires coal plantsto update their pollution controls when they upgrade other portions of thefacility. Similar and separate enforcement actions filed by otherenvironmental groups, states and the Environmental Protection Agency weresubsequently consolidated into one action, which resulted in today’ssettlement. Other plaintiffs in the suit include the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire,Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and 13 other environmental groups. For more information on this settlement and to find out more about theSierra Club’s National Coal Campaign visit http://www.sierraclub.org/coal/. ###
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