Chemical Safety Project In The News

By Jason Hardin

North Carolina power plants and other heavy industries released more pollutants that affect respiratory systems than all but one other state in 2004, according to a report released Tuesday.

While only Ohio saw the release of more pollutants that year, state and utility officials say the picture has changed since then, as industries have begun complying with a law requiring reduced emissions.

The report, released by the N.C. Public Interest Research Group,

Rob Thompson, a spokesman for PIRG, said it's not necessarily possible to show a link to health problems at the state level, but he said the materials being emitted are hazardous to respiratory systems.

"The fact that we are putting out the second highest amount of these toxicants is striking and pretty disturbing," he said. "We've got to do more to protect our citizens."

None of the largest polluters was in the Triad, although the plant that put out the most, Duke Energy's Belews Creek power plant, is in Stokes County. Thompson said it's hard to say exactly what amount of respiratory pollutants is too high.

"We really don't know what the level is where these chemicals are safe," he said.

State and utility officials said the report doesn't necessarily reflect the current condition of the state's air.

"We've seen substantial reductions in emissions from the power plants since 2004," said Tom Mather, a spokesman for the state Division of Air Quality.

Industries have been adding pollution control measures since the "Clean Smokestacks Act" passed in 2002, he said.

Paige Sheehan, a spokeswoman for Duke Energy, said the company is spending substantial sums to upgrade its pollution controls. "This will eliminate many, many, many of the emissions that are being talked about," she said. "We're making great investments in the environment."

According to Duke's Web site, some pollution controls are already in place at Belews Creek, and scrubbers that cut down other emissions are being installed.

Thompson said more needs to be done. He said the state needs to rely more on alternative energy sources and use fewer toxic chemicals overall.

North Carolina fared somewhat better in other categories included in the report. The state had lower releases of other types of toxins, such as chemicals linked to reproductive disorders, relative to other states. was based on data that industries report to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. It was based on the most recent data available, the group says.