Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) asserts that Ontario's coal plant phase-out significantly reduced air pollution and improved public health. In 2002, Ontario's five coal plants were responsible for 23% of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, 14% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 23% of airborne mercury, and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2003 and 2012, SO2 emissions from these plants dropped by approximately 140,000 tonnes, contributing to a nearly 50% decline in annual air levels of SO2 and a 25% decline in PM2.5 across the province. A 2005 estimate valued the health impacts of coal plant pollution—including over 600 premature deaths and 1,900 hospital or emergency room visits annually—at $3 billion per year. Additionally, Toronto Public Health found that air quality improvements from 2000 to 2011 reduced premature deaths in Toronto by 23% and hospital admissions by 41%, attributing these gains in part to the coal phase-out.

• In 2002, Ontario's five coal-fired power plants contributed significantly to pollution, accounting for 23% of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, 14% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 23% of airborne mercury emissions, and 20% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions.
• The phase-out of coal plants contributed to measurable improvements in air quality between 2003 and 2012, with SO2 emissions from coal plants decreasing by about 140,000 tonnes, annual air levels of SO2 across Ontario falling by nearly 50%, and annual air levels of PM2.5 declining by approximately 25%.

APA

Admin, C. (2017). Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/ontarios-coal-plant-phase-out-produced-many-health-and-environmental-benefits/

Chicago

Admin, CAPE. Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2017. https://cape.ca/ontarios-coal-plant-phase-out-produced-many-health-and-environmental-benefits/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Admin |first1=CAPE |title=Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=18 January 2017 |url=https://cape.ca/ontarios-coal-plant-phase-out-produced-many-health-and-environmental-benefits/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2017ontarios, author = {Admin, CAPE}, title = {{Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2017}, month = jan, url = {https://cape.ca/ontarios-coal-plant-phase-out-produced-many-health-and-environmental-benefits/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }