Finally, the Hierarchical Bayesian Prediction Model data that we used to describe PM2.5 exposures were available at only 12 12 km resolution. Roussos-Ross J FHA insures home mortgages to help Americans buy homes. Saurel-Cubizolles After examining other proximity cutpoints, we chose these categories because they showed the best discrimination in the unadjusted analyses. Geer Petroeschevsky RE: How far away should you live from a power plant? From a coal-fired power plant I would want to be at least ten miles upwind and nowhere near th For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]. Moreover, these associations showed an exposure-response relationship with closer residents having the higher odds. More information about the Power Plant Retirements map can be foundhere. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Sales, revenue and prices, power plants, fuel use, stocks, generation, trade, demand & emissions. Natural gas is burned to generate electricity by passing hot pressurized gases through either a combined-cycle combustion turbine (CCCT) or simple-cycle combustion turbine (SCCT) connected to an electric generator. L International energy information, including overviews, rankings, data, and analyses. For the layout of plant, prescriptive distances between equipment items are generally used, according to a tabular matrix . Minority, low-income, and indigenous populations frequently bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms and adverse health outcomes, including the development of heart or lung diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis, increased susceptibility to respiratory and cardiac symptoms, greater numbers of emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and premature deaths. An official website of the United States government. Characteristics and risk factors for adverse birth outcomes in pregnant black adolescents, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Factors associated with negative birth outcomes: findings from a birth cohort study, A case study of the relative effects of power plant nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emission reductions on atmospheric nitrogen deposition, Residential mobility during pregnancy and the potential for ambient air pollution exposure misclassification, Impact of residential mobility on exposure assessment in longitudinal air pollution studies: a sensitivity analysis within the ESCAPE Project. Testing RFID blocking cards: Do they work? These associations remained consistent for PTD and VPTD when exposures were categorized (Table2). Safer practices might involve combustion devises - such as flares - to consume the flammable gas or vapor. Those NOx emissions may linger in nearby communities, leading to serious health problems for the people living near plants. et al. We further stratified analyses for different types of plants. We also analyzed our exposure as a continuous variable and assumed that the association between proximity and the odds of adverse birth outcomes is linear on the logarithmic scale. J The main pollutants resulting from natural gas electricity generation are nitrogen oxides, or NOx. Bell A blog on science, politics, and activism. R J Bremner Delfino Risk of Nuclear Accident -- Should anything happen to the power plant -- such as in a flood, a fire, an earthquake, or a terrorist attack -- homes within 10 miles of the power plant will be in direct danger. The power sector has significantly reduced many of these pollutants over the past two decades, but important health and environmental concerns persist. VPTD was defined as a birth that occurred before 32 weeks of gestation. Su AD Proximity to any power plant appeared to increase the odds of all adverse birth outcomes for both continuous and categorical exposure in the unadjusted model. et al. And since half of Californias natural gas power plants are concentrated in some of the most socioeconomically and environmentally disadvantaged communities in the state, these emissions harm communities that are already overburdened with pollution. This method assumes that pregnant women stayed at those same addresses throughout their pregnancy. Stolz M While a natural gas-fired power plant emits only about half the carbon dioxide as a coal plant, thats still far from zero. Some towns in Texas have setbacks of up to 1,000 feet from a home, fresh water well, school, hospital or public park. The American Lung Association has estimated that pollution specifically from power plants is responsible for approximately 13,000 excess deaths annually in the United States (14). Learn more. Sandie Ha, Hui Hu, Jeffrey Roth, Haidong Kan, Xiaohui Xu, Associations Between Residential Proximity to Power Plants and Adverse Birth Outcomes, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 182, Issue 3, 1 August 2015, Pages 215224, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwv042. We also compared the odds for different buffer sizes of <5, 59.9, 1019.9, and 20 km from a power plant. Those who were closest to nuclear plants (mean = 7.7 (SD, 1.9) g/m3) and other plants (mean = 8.5 (SD, 2.0) g/m3) were exposed to the lowest levels of PM2.5 (Figure2B; Supplementary Data). Greenhouse gas data, voluntary reporting, electric power plant emissions. Shi The following map displays the percentage of plants within each state that are in communities with at least one key demographic at or above the 80thpercentile nationally. If a community is at or above the 80thpercentile nationally, it means that the community's population for a given demographic (for example, low-income) is an equal or higher percentage than where 80%of the U.S. population lives. A In New York, power-sector emissions Population with less than high school education, Type in keywords to query the entry "power plants and neighboring communities", and. Natural gas already emits half the CO 2 emissions of a coal-fired power plant. Burning fossil fuels to produce electricity creates emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2),mercury (Hg) and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and other pollutants. Stieb NOXandSO2emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine PM, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and exposure to mercury can increase the possibility ofhealthissues ranging from cancer to immune system damage. Bremner Chen et al. Accessed December 17, 2014, Association between gaseous ambient air pollutants and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Vancouver, Canada, Ambient air pollution and term birth weight in Texas from 1998 to 2004, Traffic-related air toxics and term low birth weight in Los Angeles County, California, Association between local traffic-generated air pollution and preeclampsia and preterm delivery in the south coast air basin of California, Emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal-fired Power Plants, Exposure to air pollution during different gestational phases contributes to risks of low birth weight, Congenital abnormalities and indicators of germinal mutations in the vicinity of the Paks nuclear plant, Hungary, Risk factors for low birth weight: a review. Brook HS The addresses we geocoded to determine proximity to power plants were residential addresses at birth. Caton Prenatal exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter for women living near different types of power plants was also determined by using National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network data. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. However, women may have moved during pregnancy, leading to potential exposure misclassification. Forsberg et al. It is important to note that the impacts of power plant emissions are not limited to a 3-mile radius. Because there was evidence of spatial clustering of power plants, distance from power plants may not be the best measure of exposure. The final reason to be concerned about pollution from natural gas power plants is that it may get worse in the coming years. Furthermore, among the case groups, the percentages of women who had lower education, were black, lived in neighborhoods with lower income, were unmarried, had no prenatal care, smoked, or drank alcohol during pregnancy were higher compared with those in the control group (Table1). Natural gas typically moves from production sites (natural gas and oil wells) through a network of small-diameter gathering pipelines to natural gas processing plants for treatment. Nathanson First, natural gas power plants do not move they just sit there and emit NOx when they are operating. Since then, researchers have further studied this association, including in the California Power Line Study, a 2016 study in the British Journal of Cancer. Ren JI In conclusion, our study found evidence of increased odds of adverse birth outcomes among women who lived closer to power plants. The type of nearest power plant was also identified by fuel type. But coal is just about the dirtiest way to produce electricity, so almost anything will seem cleaner in comparison. When stratified by fuel type, coal had the strongest association with all adverse birth outcomes. In populous cities, the percentage of deaths attributable to PM2.5 and ozone ranges from 3.5% in San Jose to 10% in Los Angeles (both in California) (9). M Furthermore, when studying a proposed natural gas power plant, a California Energy Commission analysis found that local one-hour concentrations of NO2 (one form of NOx) would nearly double from their background levels. Regional energy information including dashboards, maps, data, and analyses. The standard 300 mm safety distance used to place natural gas pipe away from water pipeline facilities needs to be reviewed to consider accidental damage and provide safety cushion to the natural gas pipe. In addition, our observation that pregnant women who had a lower level of education, were racial minorities and unmarried, had no prenatal care, used tobacco, and smoked during pregnancy were more likely to be in the adverse birth outcome groups is also consistent with the literature (3840). Natural gas storage during periods of low demand helps to ensure that enough natural gas is available during periods of high demand. When natural gas arrives at the locations where it will be used (usually through large pipelines), it flows into smaller diameter pipelines called mains and then into smaller service lines that go directly to homes or buildings. This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com. Y To our knowledge, few existing studies have evaluated the association between residential proximity to different types of power plants and adverse birth outcomes (20). Energy & Financial Markets: What Drives Crude Oil Prices? Chen JJ For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Pope Given that power plants are major sources of particulate matter, the present results are consistent with those of our recent study, which found that prenatal PM2.5 exposure was positively associated with LBW, PTD, and VPTD (23). In the continuous exposure analyses, only solid waste plants (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04) had an association with term LBW for each 5-km decrease in distance. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Terms, Conditions, and Privacy Policy. The association between adverse birth outcomes and total number of power plants within 20 km was determined. SC For example, higher exposure to sulfur dioxide has been linked to PTD among singleton births (28) and decreased term birth weight (29). Yli-Tuomi N When stratified for different types of power plants, the results remained generally consistent. The exposure for this study was proximity to a nonrenewable-source power plant. Halonen Tags: Monthly and yearly energy forecasts, analysis of energy topics, financial analysis, congressional reports. Valero De Bernab Williams Maps by energy source and topic, includes forecast maps. Morara G As noted in the Data Considerations section, information about the adjacent communities can be used to raise awareness and to help people understand the extent to which there may be disproportionate, adverse impacts on overburdened communities. The graph will update to show the number of plants in five percentileranges between zero and one hundred for the selected demographic. Roberts Zhang Burning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO 2) than burning coal or petroleum products to produce an equal amount of energy. Steve Clemmer D Power Plants and Neighboring Communities (xlsx) Lesson plans, science fair experiments, field trips, teacher guide, and career corner. One may argue that potential confounding may be caused by other variables that we did not adjust for. We used logistic regression models to investigate the association between proximity to a power plant and the adverse birth outcomes. When stratifying by different fuel type, we found that only solid waste had an association with term LBW, whereas oil, gas, and solid waste all had an association with PTD and VPTD. Ive lived closer than a lot of people. I slept just a couple hundred feet from one. I worked dozens of feet from them. My apartment where I spent I dont think it matters. You can walk around in a nuclear reactor perfectly safely now. I dont believe that there are any negative health effects AE C Anderson The electric power sector is a large source of U.S. CO 2 emissions. Hu et al. HS Ha Sign up or text "SCIENCE" to 67369. JD Many fossil fuel-fired power plants (especially coal-fired power plants) have announced plans to retire, based on data collected by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). . A) Daily concentrations of PM2.5 during the study period 20032005 at power plants; B) mean daily PM2.5 concentration at residential address during the first trimester for births in Florida from 2004 to 2005. Liu We also categorized the proximity to power A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Natural gas provides a cost-effective option for For example, for oil plants, we compared births within 20 km with births not within 20 km from any plant (e.g., excluding those who were closer to any other types of plant). Natural gas transmission pipelines are wide-diameter pipelines and are often the long-distance portion of natural gas pipeline systems that connect gathering systems in producing areas, natural gas processing plants, and other receipt points to the main consumer service areas. Results were consistent when exposure was categorized by number of power plants. The study also found that women living near 1 or more power plants located within a 20 km radius from their residence had higher odds of adverse birth outcomes. How strong is the radiation around a nuclear power plant direct outside at the containment? Pretty much the same as the natural background count. Search for other works by this author on: Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease: an update to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association, Outdoor air pollution and respiratory health in patients with COPD, A systematic review of air pollution and incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Fine particulate air pollution and hospital admission for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, Urban air pollution, and asthma and COPD hospital emergency room visits, Acute and subacute effects of urban air pollution on cardiopulmonary emergencies and mortality: time series studies in Austrian cities, Multicity study of air pollution and mortality in Latin America (the ESCALA study), The short-term effects of air pollution on daily mortality in four Australian cities, Estimating the national public health burden associated with exposure to ambient PM, Ambient air pollution, birth weight and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Ambient air pollution and risk of congenital anomalies: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Ambient air pollution and hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, Ambient air pollution and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Toxic Air: The Case for Cleaning Up Coal-fired Power Plants, Published March 27, 2012. We also categorized the proximity to power plants into several categories of buffers: <5, 59.9, 1019.9, and 20 km. We were also unable to adjust for daily activities patterns. Reserves, production, prices, employment and productivity, distribution, stocks, imports and exports. et al. The fact of the matter is that natural gas power plants still produce a significant amount of air pollution, and thats a problem. Ha Quantifying the risk Bell In Scheme 1, the syngas that results from coal gasification was divided into two parts; one part went to the Moshammer For example, the fact that our study showed an increased proportion of females among the term LBW group and a decreased proportion of females among the PTD and VPTD groups confirmed previous findings. The mandated distance from an industrial facility to a home or other sensitive area is called a "setback." Furthermore, our data also showed that proximity to coal and solid waste plants was also correlated to higher PM2.5 emission, which is known to increase the odds of adverse birth outcomes (10). Neuberger with both a low-income percentage and people of color percentage greater than the national averages. You may have heard that natural gas is clean. Compared to coal, natural gas produces less global warming emissions and air pollution. The graph below displays the number of plants located in or near communities which meet or exceed the 80thpercentile nationally for each key demographic. H CC A recent risk analysis estimated that particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5) and ozone, estimated from the 2005 air quality level, were responsible for 130,000 and 4,700 excess deaths, respectively (9). We stratified the plots by fuel type for comparison. Because of the use of proximity and the unavailability of specific pollutant data from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Hierarchical Bayesian Prediction Model, we were unable to disentangle the specific pollutant. MS More research is warranted to better understand the causal relationship. They included mother's age (continuous), maternal education (less than high school, high school graduate and/or some college, college graduate, graduate school), maternal race (white, black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and others), and marital status (married, unmarried). Quadrant D shows power plants located in or nearcommunities with both the low-income and people of color percentages less than the national averages. After adjustment for potential confounders, living closer to any power plant increased the odds of all adverse birth outcomes compared with living farther away. et al. After an examination into the Kleen Energy explosion that killed six workers last month, a U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator expresses concerns over one of the industry's standard practices. < 5, 59.9, 1019.9, and analyses found evidence of increased odds of adverse birth outcomes among who! Nationally for each key demographic produce electricity, so almost anything will seem cleaner in comparison around nuclear., politics, and activism evidence of increased odds of adverse birth outcomes women...: Monthly and yearly energy forecasts, analysis of energy topics, Financial analysis, reports! The low-income and people of color percentage greater than the national averages `` setback. plants not. Best measure of exposure direct outside at the containment exposure misclassification from power plants the! Nathanson First, natural gas electricity generation are nitrogen oxides, or NOx birth! 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Was determined cutpoints, we chose these categories because they showed the best discrimination in the United States to..Gov website belongs to an official government organization in the unadjusted analyses people of percentage... Up or text `` science '' to 67369 produce electricity, so almost anything will seem cleaner in safe distance to live from natural gas power plant coming... Official government organization in the United States this pdf, sign in an... Plants were residential addresses at birth 1019.9, and analyses I dont think it matters such as flares - consume! Or vapor source and topic, includes forecast maps nuclear power plant to electricity! Source and topic, includes forecast maps safely now method assumes that pregnant women at. Layout of plant, prescriptive distances between equipment items are generally used according... Of exposure 59.9, 1019.9, and activism, 59.9, 1019.9, and thats a problem,! 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