Coal-powered plants deserve scrutiny

This country's abundant resource of coal brings many problems to our planet and to the communities in the areas where it is mined and burned: water and air pollution, release of greenhouse gases (GHG) and destruction of waterways and valleys by mountaintop removal. Coal is the largest source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. - a major cause of global climate change. Even cross-country rail transport of coal adds GHG emissions.

Now is the time to urge our U.S. Senators and our representatives to oppose the building of new coal-fired power plants that lack the ability to capture and store their carbon dioxide. Constructing new pulverized coal plants would lock the U.S. into decades of dangerous carbon emissions that will make it extremely difficult to avoid the worst consequences of global warming.

Funding of carbon capture and storage technology should be limited to 5 to 10 demonstration plants until the technology is proven to be safe, reliable and cost-effective.

Analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists has found that the country can meet its near-term energy needs and curb emissions through using readily available renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technologies.

Also, the EPA should prevent hundreds of miles more of streams and valleys from being permanently buried by waste from mountaintop removal coal mining.

Jan Smith

Carol Stream