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Electric Power Industry:
Largest US Toxic Polluter

Most toxic metals end up in the solid waste stream

Producing electricity from coal and oil releases a wide range of pollutants into the environment. In addition to toxic air pollution from power plant smoke-stacks, large volumes of toxic chemicals are produced at coal and oil-fired power plants and included in millions of tons of solid and liquid wastes that are typically disposed of at or near the power plants that generate these wastes.

 

Metal 

Raw Coal


Removed by Coal Washing
(disposed of at mine)


Waste Disposal
(onsite landfill
or surface impoundment)


Air Emissions

Hg mercury 

109 tons

13 tons

44 tons

52 tons

As arsenic 

7884 tons

3236 tons

6275 tons

47 tons

Be beryllium 

1167 tons

189 tons

4601 tons

8 tons

Cd cadmium 

750 tons

251 tons

6533 tons

3 tons

Cr chromium 

8810 tons

2474 tons

970 tons

62 tons

Ni nickel 

9339 tons

2754 tons

1305 tons

52 tons

Se selenium 

2587 tons

1098 tons

496 tons

184 tons

source: Laid To Waste by the Clean Air Task Force Mar00

If all that pollution isn't enough,
one must take into account the environmental devastation
left behind by strip mines like this one.

aerial photo of strip mine

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