http://www.cleanairalliance.org/node/166
OPG coal plants are Ontario’s pollution giants
Nanticoke No. 1 source of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change
OPG coal plants are Ontario’s pollution giants
February 1, 2007 – The staggering emissions from Ontario’s four coal plants make Ontario Power Generation (OPG) a giant among polluters, says a new report released today by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA). OPG: Ontario’s Pollution Giant finds that the coal burners are not only massive air polluters, but also significant producers of toxic wastes that are being landfilled on site or sent to other locations for disposal.
“When it comes to emissions of smog pollutants and greenhouse gases, OPG’s coal plants are Ontario’s pollution giants. In fact, OPG’s coal plants produce 40% of the carbon dioxide emissions (the major greenhouse gas that causes climate change) reported by Ontario industrial facilities to Environment Canada and continue to be Canada’s #1 corporate source of greenhouse gases,” points out Jack Gibbons, Chair of the OCAA.
Emissions of carbon dioxide from the Nanticoke and Lambton plants increased by 20% from 2004 to 2005 and have increased by 90% for all the coal plants since 1995. Equally alarming, the actual emission rate (tonnes of carbon dioxide per gigawatt-hour of electricity produced) for the plants has increased by 7% since 1995.
OPG’s coal plants are also responsible for:
- 36% of Ontario’s airborne mercury emissions;
- 28% of Ontario’s industrial smog-causing nitrogen oxides emissions;
- 23% of Ontario’s industrial smog-causing sulphur dioxide emissions; and
- 8% of Ontario’s industrial PM2.5 small particulate emissions that go deep into our lungs and cause asthma attacks, heart and lung diseases, strokes and premature mortality.
“But then when we turn our attention to OPG’s other waste streams, we see that it is also a big producer of wastes such as ash that contain Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) toxics like arsenic and mercury which it either landfills on its own property or ships offsite to cement plants and road builders,” Mr. Gibbons says.
OPG’s Nanticoke and Lambton coal-fired power plants are among Ontario’s top 5 on-site landfillers of arsenic, lead and mercury.
OPG’s coal plants also shipped ash containing mercury and other toxics to cement plants in Bath and St. Mary’s, Ontario, as well as to Michigan, where it is re-heated in cement kilns.
“When we stack up OPG being a leading emitter in all the major air pollution categories with being a leading on-site landfiller of solid wastes containing a broad cross section of toxic materials, and, in turn, add to this it being a shipper of significant quantities of pollutants to other facilities, we start to see more clearly that the giant polluting footsteps of OPG’s coal plants lead everywhere and cross many paths,” says Mr. Gibbons.
“This also points to the futility of trying to solve the problem of coal plant pollution with largely ineffective end-of-pipe scrubbers or other controls that will increase its greenhouse gas emissions and its quantities of toxic waste sent to landfills and cement kilns,” Mr. Gibbons added. “The only real solution is to cut the giant down to size by eliminating coal burning and adopting cleaner solutions, like aggressive efficiency improvements, renewable power and highly efficient combined heat and power generation. Premier McGuinty should keep his promise to phase-out our dirty and toxic coal plants by 2009”, Mr. Gibbons said.
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