Fallout

                                                            3/17/11

                                           POWER PLANT FALLOUT

Hopefully restoration of electricity will allow the returning of coolant to the reactors in Japan but meanwhile, after 20 years of talking about coal power plant emissions control, their fallout continues increasing.  An article in today’s New York Times reports that the coal fired electric generation industry has not only fought more regulation, they have INCREASED mercury emissions by more than 8% to 53 tons from 1999to 2005 and arsenic emissions by 31% to 210 tons over the same time.

The industry complains that compliance with the proposed rule will cost $10 billion.  The EPA data show that savings in lives and healthcare will be $100 billion, 17,000 premature deaths and 120,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms per year.  As a government “of, by and for the people” isn’t the math result an obvious $90 billion savings to proceed with this rule?  Wouldn’t delaying this clean-up of emissions be another case of continuing to PRIVATIZE THE PROFITS WHILE SOCIALIZING THE COSTS?

While the new rule would only require adoption of the current best practices among the 400 coal fired generators operating in the U.S., the Republicans in congress are up in arms against it.  They are also bent on defunding the EPA (and the IRS) as much as possible while they are at it.  I hope you give them and the EPA a piece of your mind.