Potential Human Health Impacts Associated with Retirement of Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois

The report estimates that retiring four nuclear plants in Illinois would lead to 1,200 to 2,700 premature deaths and $10 to $24 billion in monetized damages over ten years. Retiring two plants (Byron and Dresden) would result in 500 to 1,100 premature deaths and $4.4 to $10 billion in damages over the same period. These impacts are driven by increased PM2.5 emissions from fossil fuel plants used to offset the loss of zero-emission generation.

• The retirement of four nuclear power plants in Illinois is estimated to cause between 1,200 and almost 2,700 premature deaths, nearly 140,000 work loss days, and over 30,000 additional asthma attacks and respiratory symptoms over a ten-year period.
• The retirement of two nuclear power plants (Byron and Dresden Generating Stations) is estimated to cause between 500 and 1,100 premature deaths, almost 57,000 work loss days, and over 13,000 additional asthma attacks and respiratory symptoms over a ten-year period.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2021). Potential Human Health Impacts Associated with Retirement of Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21092356/Illinois-Nuclear-Study-Revised-2-and-4-plants-FINAL-April-14-2021.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Potential Human Health Impacts Associated with Retirement of Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois. 2021. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21092356/Illinois-Nuclear-Study-Revised-2-and-4-plants-FINAL-April-14-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Potential Human Health Impacts Associated with Retirement of Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois |date=14 April 2021 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21092356/Illinois-Nuclear-Study-Revised-2-and-4-plants-FINAL-April-14-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2021potential, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Potential Human Health Impacts Associated with Retirement of Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21092356/Illinois-Nuclear-Study-Revised-2-and-4-plants-FINAL-April-14-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }