A Clear The Air Report Power to Kill

The report argues that 51 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. have illegally avoided modern pollution controls by exploiting a 'grandfathering' loophole in the Clean Air Act, leading to significant public health crises. Drawing on data from Abt Associates, the Clean Air Task Force estimates that these plants cause between 5,500 and 9,000 premature deaths and 107,000 to 170,000 asthma attacks annually. The report highlights a 'transport of death and disease' where pollution from plants in the Midwest and Southeast impacts the Northeast. It criticizes the Bush Administration's 2001 review of NSR policy as prioritizing industry efficiency over public health and calls for the closure of the 'lethal loophole' through nationwide emission caps on nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and carbon dioxide.

• Pollution from the 51 power plants targeted in New Source Review (NSR) enforcement actions is responsible for at least 5,500 and up to 9,000 premature deaths every year.
• Enforcing modern pollution standards on these 51 plants could prevent between 4,300 and 7,000 premature deaths and between 80,000 and 120,000 asthma attacks annually.
• The 51 NSR-violating plants cause significant health impacts in the Northeast, despite being located in the Midwest or Southeast, resulting in 1,500 to 2,100 premature deaths and 30,000 to 39,000 asthma attacks per year in that region.
• The 51 plants under investigation represent just over 11 percent of the U.S. fossil-fueled electric capacity but are responsible for more than 24 percent of nitrogen oxides and over 27 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions from all fossil plants nationwide.
• The monetary benefits of requiring these 51 plants to comply with modern pollution standards are estimated to be between $24 billion and $38 billion per year, though another section of the report cites a range of $27 to $45 billion.
• Settlements already announced with Dominion Power, Cinergy, Inc., and Tampa Electric are estimated to avoid between 780 and 1,150 premature deaths annually.

APA

Schneider, C. (2001). A Clear The Air Report Power to Kill. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093512/Power_to_Kill.pdf

Chicago

Schneider, Conrad. A Clear The Air Report Power to Kill. Clean Air Task Force, 2001. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093512/Power_to_Kill.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schneider |first1=Conrad |title=A Clear The Air Report Power to Kill |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=July 2001 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093512/Power_to_Kill.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schneider2001clear, author = {Schneider, Conrad}, title = {{A Clear The Air Report Power to Kill}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2001}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093512/Power_to_Kill.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }