The nation's top polluters, as measured in terms of mercury, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, are power plants owned by corporations that are tightly allied with the Bush Administration in terms of both campaign contributions and pollution policymaking, according to a new study from two nonprofit and nonpartisan groups, the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Public Citizen.
The report concludes that sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide pollution rose from 2002 to 2003, posing higher risks to Americans in terms of asthma attacks, lung ailments, premature death and, in the case of mercury, heightened risk of neurological damage to children.
The new report, entitled America's 'Dirtiest Power Plants: Plugged into the Bush Administration,' ranks the top 50 polluting power plants for three pollutants. While the power plants represent only about 5 percent of the more than 1,000 such facilities in the U.S., the worst offenders dominate the industry's problem emissions: 43 percent of sulfur dioxide pollution; 31 percent of CO2 pollution; and 43 percent of mercury pollution.
Since 1999, the 30 biggest utility companies owning the majority of the 89 dirtiest power plants examined in the study have poured $6.6 million into the coffers of the Bush presidential campaigns and the Republican National Committee (RNC). The companies and one of their trade associations, the Edison Electric Institute, have produced 10 "Rangers" and "Pioneers," the Bush campaign super-fundraisers who collect at least $200,000 or $100,000, respectively, in earmarked contributions. The 30 companies hired at least 16 lobby or law firms with 23 Rangers or Pioneers between them who have raised at least $3.4 million for the Bush campaigns. These firms, together with the private utility industry's trade association, met with Vice President Cheney's energy task force at least 17 times to help formulate the country's energy and pollution policies.
Environmental Integrity Project Director Eric Schaeffer said: "It is no coincidence that a wholesale assault on the Clean Air Act is taking place today. This attack is part of a campaign by a White House that understands what the industry wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. No one should have any illusions about what is happening: This is a well-connected industry that is absolutely intent on preserving its 'right' to foul the air regardless of the consequences for the American public."
Public Citizen's Congress Watch Director Frank Clemente said: "This is a classic Washington 'follow the money' story. When the electric utility industry faced strong government attempts to clean up many of its aging coal- fired power plants, an action that could cost the utilities billions, a few dozen corporations and their trade association began an intensive campaign to derail the effort. Their strategy: help elect an industry-friendly president, fill federal regulatory posts with former utility executives and lobbyists, and hire a small army of lobbyists and lawyers connected to the new president to engineer regulatory changes that would undermine the EPA's Clean Air Act enforcement cases and weaken rules that already were in the pipeline."
The report is available at: http://www.environmentalintegrity.org http://www.WhiteHouseForSale.org
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