Dirty Power

The report documents that fine particle pollution from U.S. power plants causes nearly 24,000 premature deaths annually, including 2,800 from lung cancer, and 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks. It argues that the Bush administration's 'Clear Skies' proposal is insufficient compared to the Clean Air Act or the more stringent Jeffords bill, which could avoid 22,000 deaths per year. The analysis highlights that elderly populations, children, and communities of color—particularly in the Midwest and Southwest—are disproportionately affected.

• Fine particle pollution from power plants in the United States is linked to nearly 24,000 premature deaths every year, with 2,800 of those deaths resulting from lung cancer.
• Power plant emissions are responsible for 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks and 554,000 asthma attacks annually.
• The average person who dies prematurely due to exposure to particulate matter loses 14 years of life.
• The total annual monetized health cost associated with U.S. power plant pollution is estimated at $167.3 billion.
• The Jeffords bill is projected to be the most effective policy, potentially avoiding 22,000 deaths per year and saving 100,000 more lives by 2020 than the Bush administration's proposal.
• The Bush administration's 'Clear Skies' proposal is estimated to result in 4,000 additional preventable premature deaths each year compared to the requirements of current law.
• Communities of color are disproportionately impacted; in 2000, 71 percent of African Americans and 70 percent of Latinos lived in counties violating federal air pollution standards.
• Geographic analysis shows that West Virginia has the highest per capita mortality rate from power plant pollution, with over 33 deaths per 100,000 adults, which is more than 25 times the rate in California.

APA

Schneider, C. G. (2004). Dirty Power. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093537/Dirty_Air_Dirty_Power.pdf

Chicago

Schneider, Conrad G. Dirty Power. Clean Air Task Force, 2004. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093537/Dirty_Air_Dirty_Power.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schneider |first1=Conrad G. |title=Dirty Power |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=June 2004 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093537/Dirty_Air_Dirty_Power.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schneider2004dirty, author = {Schneider, Conrad G.}, title = {{Dirty Power}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2004}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093537/Dirty_Air_Dirty_Power.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }