Clean Air News

Thousands Of Asthma Attacks Could Be Saved From Power Plant Cleanup

As the new home of NCPIRG's environmental work, Environment North Carolina can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release. 

RALEIGH—The health benefits of the North Carolina "Clean Smokestacks" bill include saving thousands of asthma attacks and hundreds of premature deaths in North Carolina alone, according to a new report released today by public health and environmental groups. The report, North Carolina's Health Is Worth It, estimates the reduced number of asthma attacks, visits to the emergency room, and other benefits resulting from reducing pollution by 70 percent from the state's coal-fired power plants.

"Cleaning up power plant pollution will reduce high ozone days, cancer risks, and even save lives in the state," said Elizabeth Ouzts, Director of the NC Public Interest Research Group and one of the reports' authors. "North Carolina's health is worth cleaning up these plants."

In recent years, many scientific studies have linked smog and soot pollution to asthma attacks, visits to hospital emergency rooms, respiratory disease, heart attacks, and even premature death. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study linking soot pollution to increased cancer risks. The Center for Disease Control has linked mercury pollution to brain damage and other neurological disorder in newborns.

"Children, the elderly, and those with heart and respiratory disease are most vulnerable, but even healthy adults are at risk from high levels of air pollution," said Deborah Bryan, Director of Government Relations for the American Lung Association. "People should not have to worry they will be gasping for breath when they go outdoors-or that they will incur enormous health costs if they need emergency treatment."

Children are vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs are still developing, and because they breathe more rapidly than adults. The elderly are at risk because lung function declines with age.

Coal-fired power plants contribute to 30 percent of the state's smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution, 75 percent of the state's soot-forming sulfur dioxide pollution, and 65 percent of the state's mercury pollution. As passed out of the House Public Utilities committee today, S 1078 would mandate a 78 percent reduction in nitrogen-oxide pollution and a 74 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide pollution from 1998 levels. Mercury pollution would be reduced by an estimated 66 percent.

According to the report, the benefits of reductions similar to those in the Clean Smokestacks bill are estimated to save 320 lives and over 200 hospital visits in North Carolina alone. Further, the report details research from the Clean Air Task Force estimating that reducing power plant pollution by 75 percent from NC's power plants would save over 6,000 asthma attacks and 55,000 lost work days in North Carolina alone. Reducing North Carolina's pollution would also save 1,300 premature deaths nationally.

Savings from the estimated avoided health effects of air pollution in North Carolina totaled over $1.8 billion annually. This figure is six times the estimated $230 million in estimated costs of controls for the state's power plants over 10 years.

Taking the first step in passing S 1078 through the N.C. House, the Public Utilities Committee today approved the bill.

"We applaud the Public Utilities Committee for approving the Clean Smokestacks bill today, and look forward to its swift passage through the House," said Michael Shore, Southeast Air Quality Manager for NC Environmental Defense.