Free Coal, Shorter Life: A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents the disastrous results of China's policy of giving away free coal to residents of the Hua River area from 1950 to 1980. The pollution resulting from burning the coal contributed to shaving 5.5 years off of life expectancy there by increasing particulate matter in the air, which in turn led to increased heart and lung disease.
Divestiture: Kevin Begos reported this weekend for the AP that the United Church of Christ, a group of Protestant churches, had become the first U.S. religious body to vote to divest its pension funds and investments from fossil fuel companies because of climate change concerns. The Church of Christ claims 1.1 million members. The UCC General Synod 2013 also passed a resolution calling for an end to the devastating practice of mountain top mining.
Closure: First Energy Corp. announced that it will deactivate in October two coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania - Mitchell Power Station in Washington County, and Hatfield's Ferry Power Station in Greene County. First Energy blamed the need to internalize the real cost of generating electricity from coal rather than being allowed to continually emit mercury and toxic air pollutants into the environment, and the low cost of electricity in the marketplace. According to the EPA, power plants are the dominant emitters of mercury (50
percent), acid gases (over 75 percent) and a variety of toxic
metals (20-60 percent) in the United States.
Review: On June 24, the Supreme Court announced that it will review a lower Court's decision that threw out EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. EPA adopted the rule in July of 2011, requiring 28 eastern states including Pennsylvania to reduce power plant emissions that contribute to pollution from ozone and fine particulate matter in other states. The Clean Air Act requires EPA and states to address the interstate transportation of air pollution that affects the ability of states downwind from attaining compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
