To: Senator Lugar From: Kaitlynn French, Policy Analyst Re: Improving Air Quality in Indiana Date: March

8, 2012 Senator Lugar, you recently suggested that I give advice on an important environmental problem that significantly affects our state today. After much consideration, I believe one of the most significant environmental problems facing Indiana today is Air Quality.

Indianas dependency on fossil fuels has lead us to have some of the dirtiest air in America. Naturally we think of Indianas corn fields, lush green grassy pastures, and clean air but fail to realize that in actuality Hoosiers have the fifth highest risk of premature death from pollution.1 Not surprisingly, 96% of Indianas power plants or powered by coal.1 Coal-powered plants emit harmful emissions that are hazardous to the health of Indiana. According to the American Lung Association, they produce 84 known hazardous air pollutants, including arsenic, mercury, dioxins, formaldehyde and hydrogen chloride.12 The pollutants that coal-powered plants emit prove to be devastating to not only our health but also the air that surrounds us. Inevitably communities that are plagued with these plants are also plagued with increased rates of asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and increased risk of cancer. According to the Clean Air Acts updated Toll from Coal report (2010), particulate pollution from existing coal plants would cause 13,000 deaths in 2010, and emit pollution resulting in 20,000 heart attacks, 9,700 hospitalizations, and 200,000 asthma attacks.3 It is more than obvious that there is a problem

Hoosier Environmental Council. Understanding the Issues. http://www.hecweb.org/issues/green-energy/understanding-theissues/ (accessed March 2012).
2

American Lung Association. What needs to be done? http://www.stateoftheair.org/2011/key-findings/2007-2009/what-needsto-be-done.html (accessed March 2012).

Energy Justice Network. http://www.energyjustice.net/coal. (Accessed April 2012).

surrounding the toxic pollutants brought on by coal-powered plants that have not been addressed with the Clean Air Act. It is unthinkable that pollution has escalated to where it is and not much has been done in the way of putting a stop to the toxins threatening our society. President and CEO of the American Lung Association claims, Its time that we end the toxic loophole that has allowed coal-burning power plants to operate without any federal limits on emissions of mercury, arsenic, dioxin, acid gases such as hydrogen chloride and other dangerous pollutants.4 While everyone wants a quick and easy solution to the problem, it isnt so black and whiteif it were it would have been solved already. According to the Environmental Case by Judith Layzer, there are multiple explanations as to why the problem of pollution, in regards to coal-powered plants, still exist; including, but not limited to, figuring out the most cost-effective solution, switching from high-sulfur to low-sulfur coal, the installation of scrubbers, and lastly the dilemma of who pays for such reductions. Most models support the polluter pays ideology, while some suggest governmental assistance in forms of subsidies. In my opinion, the best deemed solution will be a solution that encompasses the United States as a whole. There needs to be stricter bans on emissions in regards to coal-powered plants, and the government needs to make overarching regulations that all states must abide by.

American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/about-us/our-impact/top-stories/toxic-air-coal-fired-powerplants.html. (Accessed April 2012)