Smoggy statutes

We may be beating a dead, rotting, methane-releasing horse with a thick lead pipe, but if it’s worth saying once, it’s worth repeating until we turn blue in the face: The Indiana legislature is failing miserably in its attempt to curb atmospheric pollution, combat global warming and protect the state’s precious wildlife. \nIt’s crippling association with oil companies, power plants and other special interests within the energy industry are the reason the Environmental Integrity Group ranked four of Indiana’s power plants among the dirtiest, heaviest polluters in the country.\nIn spite of the emotionally moving advertisements supporting the use of coal as a clean- burning alternative to other sources of energy, only Texas polluted more than Indiana, which tied with Pennsylvania to take the top three spots. \nThe data, culled from information gathered by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy “is a vivid reminder that generating electricity through coal is a very dirty business, and power companies have not come forward to clean up voluntarily,” Jan Jarrett of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future said, according to an Associated Press article in the Indianapolis Star (“Indiana power plants make list of group’s list of polluters,” July 26).\nAmong them, Duke Energy’s Gibson station near Princeton, Ind., came in fourth on the Top 50 list, based on pollution in tons of carbon dioxide. American Electric Power’s Rockport plant placed seventh, but claims that its size relative to smaller plants is bumping up its smog levels. The Rockport plant boasts one of the largest coal-fired electricity generators and is ranked one of the least efficient plants in the U.S.\nSpokespeople, known as liars-for-hire in industry jargon, contend that the power plants themselves have been making a concerted effort to cut down on the damage they are causing the environment and the health of Indiana residents. Duke Energy has spent more than $1 billion to reduce emission rates for sulfur dioxide by 50 percent and nitrogen oxide by 45 percent since 1990. They are also in the middle of a second $1 billion project.\nEven with the $500 million that the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. has invested over the past 20 years in pollution control efforts, “this report indicates we have an abundance of filthy, outdated coal-burning power plants that are contributing to the soot, smog, mercury and global-warming pollution challenges we are facing,” Bruce Nilles of the Sierra Club said.\nPat Hemlepp, of the Rockport power plant, summed up the argument perfectly when he explained that the federal government has no standards for carbon dioxide emissions. It is precisely the total absence of regulation that convinces the polluters it isn’t their problem. And since it doesn’t appear that Washington is going to get its act together anytime soon, it’s up to the state legislature to protect its state and its constituents. Profit-driven companies are not going to stop cutting corners wherever they can unless the legislature steps up and does its job.