Group names ‘Toxic 20’ states for pollution
The National Resources Defense Council this week named the top 20 most toxic states in terms of air pollution.
Kentucky was the worst and Ohio was the second worst offender in the country in 2010 when it came to pollution from coal-fired power plants, according to a new report.
An analysis released Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that Ohio’s electric plants as a group were surpassed only by Kentucky for exposing residents to toxic air pollution.
On the national level, the report found a 19 percent decrease nationally in all air toxins emitted from power plants in 2010, the most recent data available, compared to 2009 levels. The council attributes the drop to an increase in use of natural gas by power companies and the installation of pollution controls in anticipation of new EPA regulations.
Despite the overall reductions in total emissions, 18 of the Toxic 20 from 2009 remain in the 2010 list released today, although several states have made significant improvements highlighted in the report.
Visit the Dayton Business Journal to see a gallery of all 20 states and their emissions.
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