EPA: Jersey City Power Plant Cut Toxic Emissions by Nearly 90 Percent in ’08
By Jon Whiten • Dec 9th, 2009 • Category: Blog, News
PSE&G’s Hudson Generating Station, a 608-megawatt coal-fired power plant that sits imposingly on the banks of the Hackensack River in Jersey City, reduced the amount of toxic chemicals it releases into the air by an astonishing 88.2 percent in 2008, according to new data released by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The drastic drop in emissions, from 1.48 million to 175,549 pounds of toxic chemicals, is a result of new filtering systems that have been installed at the plant. (See the ten-year emissions graph for the plant at right.) The retrofitting project stemmed from an agreement PSE&G reached with the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in order to bring the plant into compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.
Hudson County, buoyed by PSE&G’s reductions, saw emissions drop from 1.52 million to 199,858 pounds from 2007 to 2008. And statewide, emissions were down 9 percent, from 17.1 million to 15.6 million pounds.
While Jersey City residents should be glad to finally get some good news about our air quality for once, it should be noted that this new EPA data includes only one portion of the number of substances that harm our air quality — and cause it to be continually given failing grades by the federal government and nonprofit groups. For example, automobile emissions — one of the major sources of Jersey City’s dirty air — are not included in this data, which focuses on data provided by manufacturers about their specific plants’ emissions, and not more ambient environmental data.
But officials rightly contend that event the fact that the data is readily available and accessible is a huge help to the public.
“Equipped with this data, which is now more up-to-date then ever, people have the basic information to protect their environment,” Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck says in a statement. “Public awareness is a powerful tool and empowering the public with basic information about toxic chemicals in their communities advances our commitment to transparency and promotes openness between governments, businesses and the public.”
For more detailed emissions findings from the EPA, click here.
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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