According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Americans are facing a never before seen rush to build more than 150 new coal-fired power plants. Across the country, in federal and state courtrooms, environmental groups and concerned citizens are putting coal-fired power plants on trial to in an attempt to slow down the industry's largest construction boom in decades.

According to a recent Associated Press tally, at least four dozen coal plants are being contested in 29 states. The targeted utilities include giants like Peabody Energy and American Electric Power and down to small rural cooperatives.

So what's all the fuss about?

• Coal is already the largest source of air pollution in the United States;
• Pollution from coal-fired power plants causes 21,000 hospitalizations, 38,000 heart attacks, and 24,000 deaths;
• Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a major contributor to smog;
• Coal-fired power plants are the major sources of radioactive materials released into the environment;
• Coal is the single largest source of mercury emissions in the nation;
• Coal is the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States. CO2 is the principle ingredient fueling global warming;
• The mining of coal has ruined millions of acres of forest and habitat;

Fortunatley, alternatives exist that can replace the need for fueling our energy needs with coal. Improvements in energy efficiency and investments renewable energy sources can benefit the economy and protect public health.

Resources:
Report: The Dirty Truth About Coal- From mining to burning to combustion wastes, using coal for electricity scars lungs, tears up the land, pollutes water, devastates communities, and makes global warming worse. Learn about coal's dirty secrets that have serious societal and economic consequences in the brand new report, "The Dirty Truth about Coal: Why Yesterday's Technology Should Not Be Part of Tomorrow's Energy Future."
Sierra Club's Stopping the Coal Rush
Coal in a Changing Climate
Report: Making Sense of the Coal Rush

More
Stop the Coal Plant: www.stopthecoalplant.org
SEED Coalition: www.seedcoalition.org
Public Citizen: www.citizen.org/texas/
Lonestar Chapter of Sierra Club: www.texas.sierraclub.org

TAKE ACTION
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