Filed Under: Environmental Issues | Westchester | Air | Public Health

Coal-fired power plants are the single greatest source of air pollution in the United States and they are blamed for much of the acid rain in our region. The CAA Acid Rain Program seeks to reduce pollution by requiring power plants to obtain allowances (or “credits”) for each ton of sulfur dioxide they emit. The number of pollution credits is limited, but through a market-based system called “Clean Air Markets”, plants can sell any unused credits to other plants that exceed their allowance.

New York State’s power utilities are subject to strict controls. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulates the 13 coal-fired power plants located in the State. New York State successfully implemented federally mandated reductions in nitrous emissions ahead of schedule, and in 1999, the Governor committed to an additional 40% cut in nitrous emissions and cuts in sulfur emissions that are 50% below those required by federal law. In addition to these deeper cuts, the Governor’s directive requires reductions year-round, not just during the summer as mandated by the Clean Air Act. Cuts are being phased in between 2003 and 2007. While hailing New York’s actions, environmentalists and State legislators acknowledge that similar legislation is critical at the federal level. Coal-Fired Power Plant

New York State’s strict local controls address only a small part of the problem. Power plants in the Midwest and South are blamed for 70% of the acid rain falling here. The 17 plants responsible for most of the nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide polluting New York’s air are located in Virginia, West Virginia and Midwestern states. A single plant in Ohio emits more nitrogen oxide than the 21 dirtiest New York power plants combined. New York has had some success in challenging upwind polluters: in 1999 the New York Attorney General filed suit against two out-of-state polluters, requiring them to make capital improvements to their coal-fired plants. The lawsuit resulted in two companies agreeing in 2000 to reduce emissions from their 18 plants. In addition, both companies agreed to retire their emission credits. In 2004 in a settlement hailed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the largest ever under the Clean Air Act, the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO) agreed to spend $1.2 billion to install systems to reduce pollution by 70% at eight of its coal-burning plants. Additionally, VEPCO will pay $5.3 million in penalties and $13.9 million for “environmental benefit projects,” such as the New York solar equipment In 2000, the New York Governor signed legislation that prevents New York utilities from selling pollution credits to out-of-state power plants that are a source of acid rain.

Aging electric power plants are a particularly problematic source of air pollution. In addition to emitting sulfur dioxide, plants built forty or more years ago release approximately one-third of the atmospheric nitrogen oxides polluting the nation’s air. While producing the same amount of energy as newer gas-burning plants, they emit 15-20 times as many nitrogen oxides. The Clean Air Act exempted plants planned or built before 1977 from strict pollution standards because they were expected to cease operation within a few years. Unfortunately, many of these plants have since been upgraded to extend their operational life span and output of electricity, but without installing modern pollution controls.

The decline of manufacturing in Westchester County has reduced the number of stationary sources of air pollution. In 1999, the County appropriated funds for the installation of “scrubbers” in the Charles Point incinerator stacks to capture and prevent the release of toxic particulates and gases into the air. In 2000, the County ended the practice of burning sludge from its three treatment plants where dewatered sewage was incinerated. Sludge is now trucked out of state.

Another stationary source of air pollution is apartment building incinerators. Westchester is the only county in New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation Region 3 that continues to operate apartment building incinerators. New York City banned this type of incinerator in 1989, and recently environmentalists have called for Westchester to ban them as well.

Several Westchester towns have begun to purchase some of their energy from renewable sources- mainly wind power upstate. In December 2003, the Westchester County Legislature passed a resolution calling for the county to purchase of no less than 25% renewable energy by the year 2010.