Power Plants Agree to Slash Air Pollution

[Rose Siding]

ALBANY, Jan. 11 - The operators of six coal-burning power plants in upstate New York have agreed to significantly reduce emissions that cause smog and acid rain in what state officials called the state's largest settlement ever for reducing air pollution.

The agreements with the plants - which were announced here jointly on Tuesday by Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican, and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the Democrat who would like to replace him in two years - call for them to cut the air pollution they produce to a level that officials said would be the equivalent of removing 2.5 million cars from the state's roads, as well as every diesel truck and bus in the nation.

The power plants, including the two biggest coal-fired plants in the state, which are in western New York, and four more in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions, agreed to several measures to make them cleaner, including installing filters, switching to cleaner-burning coal, and shutting some of their oldest and least-efficient units.
...
The settlements come more than five years after Mr. Spitzer struck on the novel approach of suing the operators of coal-fired power plants in other states, arguing that winds brought the pollution they generated to New York State. Mr. Spitzer said Tuesday that the settlements showed that the state is concerned about its own polluters as well. "We have been evenhanded in our enforcement, and we will continue to be evenhanded," Mr. Spitzer said.

http://nytimes.com/2005/01/12/nyregion/12emissions.html?hp&ex=1105506000&en=e18b159c84aed8ec&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[jdj]

1. this sounds like great news.

Here in NC there is a publication called Blue Ridge outdoors, and they do a reader poll every year. This year the CEO's of the five power plants in the area got voted the villains of 2004, for refusing to update the power plants although mercury and pollution are serious concerns here as well. These plants were grandfathered in and don't have to update although it would prevent something like 3000 premature deaths a year in the area.

Congrats, blue staters up there, hope they stay true to their word.

[KoKo]

2. There was some talk that NC would bring a lawsuit against states

burning coal to the west of us... It was a couple of years ago, but then I think there was something more recent..

I do think the States are standing up against this. They have to...given the Bushies power.

NC has terrible asthma rates for children. There's got to be pressure to do something about this ongoing.