By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
EPA: Power plants main global warming culprit
smokestack
The list of the top 20 worst plants includes three owned by Southern Co., two of them in Georgia. - photo by Stock photo

Top 20 worst plants

 

Power plants account for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to new federal data. The searchable database of power plants and their releases in 2010 is available at http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/ .

A list of the plants that released the largest amounts:

FacilityMetric Tons Carbon Dioxide equivalentLocation1Scherer22,978,929Juliette, Ga.2Bowen21,026,397Cartersville, Ga.3James H Miller Jr.20,752,490Quinton, Ala.4Martin Lake18,701,286Tatum, Texas5Gibson17,993,350Owensville, Ind.6Monroe17,850,341Monroe, Mich.7Labadie17,365,003Labadie, Mo.8Colstrip17,120,416Colstrip, Mont.9Gen. J. M. Gavin16,872,856Cheshire, Ohio10Rockport16,666,035Rockport, Ind.11W. A. Parish16,583,228Thompsons, Texas12Bruce Mansfield16,326,924Shippingport, Pa.13Navajo Generating Station16,275,749Page, Ariz.14Jim Bridger14,880,563Port of Rocks, Wyo.15Cross14,625,200Cross, W.Va.16Roxboro Steam Electric Plant14,603,523Semora, N.C.17Westar Energy Inc. Jeffrey Energy Center14,592,950St. Marys, Kan.18John E. Amos14,492,457St. Albans, W.Va.19Monticello13,880,166Monticello, Texas20Paradise13,637,335Drakesboro, Ky.

Source: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, AP analysis

 

WASHINGTON — The most detailed data yet on emissions of heat-trapping gases show that U.S. power plants are responsible for the bulk of the pollution blamed for global warming.

Power plants released 72 percent of the greenhouse gases reported to the Environmental Protection Agency for 2010, according to information released Wednesday that was the first catalog of global warming pollution by facility. The data include more than 6,700 of the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gases, or about 80 percent of total U.S. emissions.

According to an Associated Press analysis of the data, 20 mostly coal-fired power plants in 15 states account for the top-releasing facilities.

Gina McCarthy, the top air official at the EPA, said the database marked "a major milestone" in the agency's work to address climate change. She said it would help industry, states and the federal government identify ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

The Obama administration plans to regulate emissions of heat-trapping gases under existing law. A proposed regulation to address pollution from new power plants could be released as early as this month. Eventually, the EPA will have to tackle facilities already in operation. The largest emitters will be the first in line.

The largest greenhouse gas polluter in the nation in 2010, according to the EPA's data, was the Scherer power plant in Juliette, Ga., owned by Southern Company. That coal-fired power plant reported releasing nearly 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, in 2010.

Two other power plants owned by Southern were the second- and third-largest polluters nationally: the Bowen plant in Cartersville, Ga., and the James H. Miller Jr. power plant in Quinton, Ala. The plants are some of the largest coal-fired power plants in the country.

American Electric Power, another large coal-fired power producer, has three power plants in the top 20. They are in Rockport, Ind., Cheshire, Ohio, and St. Albans, W. Va.

"This is just another way to identify the largest coal-fired power plants in the country," said AEP spokesman Pat Hemlepp. "We always assumed we would be No. 1 in greenhouse gas emissions or No. 2 behind Southern Co. AEP and Southern are the two largest consumers of coal."

Both companies are testing technology to capture carbon dioxide from power plants and pump it underground for storage. But to date, no one has proven that is possible for a commercial-sized power plant.

The other states with high-polluting power plants are Texas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wyoming, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky.

Refineries were the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with 5.7 percent of the reported total. The top states in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and from refineries were Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Indiana.

Congress required industries to report their greenhouse gas emissions as part of a 2008 spending bill. Until now, the agency has estimated greenhouse gas emissions by industry sector.

"The information is sure to make companies, localities and specific plants more conscious of their emissions profile and may lead some to lower emissions themselves," said Paul Bledsoe, senior advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank that works on energy and environmental issues.

Environmental groups welcomed the release of the information Wednesday.

"EPA has scored a touchdown for the public's right to know about the nation's largest industrial climate pollution sources," said Paul Zalzal, staff attorney at Environmental Defense Fund.

 

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
Placeholder Image

Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

Latest Obituaries