Sulfur Emissions and Midwest Power Plants

The document details the significant contribution of Midwest power plants to US sulfur emissions, noting that coal combustion in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin releases millions of tons of sulfur dioxide annually. It emphasizes that 'grandfathered' plants exploit Clean Air Act loopholes to avoid using scrubbers, which can remove 90-95% of emissions, leading to severe health issues and environmental damage.

• Power plants are the primary source of sulfur emissions, with uncontrolled plants releasing twice the amount of sulfur as cars, factories, and trucks combined. Nationally, 94% of this sulfur comes from burning coal, a figure that rises to 99% in the Midwest states.
• Six Midwest states—Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin—emit approximately 5.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide per year, which accounts for 28% of all US SO2 emissions. Electric generating units in this region specifically contribute nearly four million tons annually, representing about 30% of US power plant SO2 emissions.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2001). Sulfur Emissions and Midwest Power Plants. https://www.catf.us/resource/sulfur-emissions-and-midwest-power-plants/

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Sulfur Emissions and Midwest Power Plants. 2001. https://www.catf.us/resource/sulfur-emissions-and-midwest-power-plants/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Sulfur Emissions and Midwest Power Plants |date=1 August 2001 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/sulfur-emissions-and-midwest-power-plants/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2001sulfur, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Sulfur Emissions and Midwest Power Plants}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2001}, month = aug, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/sulfur-emissions-and-midwest-power-plants/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }