Connecticut Congressional Delegation Urges EPA to Reduce Pollution from Brunner Island Coal Plant #BeyondCoal

On September 20, the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation released a letter supporting the state’s formal “Good Neighbor” Petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce pollution from the Brunner Island power plant in Pennsylvania. The petition and letter urged the agency to close the loophole that permits the Brunner Island coal-fired power plant to continue operating without critical controls on smog-causing nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution, as that pollution degrades air quality and harms the health of Connecticut residents. Earlier this summer Delaware also filed a Good Neighbor Petition against the plant, asserting that the Brunner Island power plant similarly interferes with the state’s ability to meet health-based air quality standards.

The delegation’s letter states that “the Brunner Island coal-fired power plant is the largest facility in the Northeast that lacks effective pollution controls for nitrogen oxides and greatly contributes to smog pollution in the region.” This pollution can be dangerous to vulnerable populations like young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illness, and can also trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, and even premature death.

In response, Thomas Schuster, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:

“We are pleased to see Connecticut’s elected officials standing up for their constituents and asking EPA to take action to address the pollution that comes from the Brunner Island coal-fired power plant. This letter adds to the growing chorus of citizens, regulators, and elected officials from three states calling on the EPA to reduce pollution from the Brunner Island coal plant harming families in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and beyond. EPA must act by the end of the year to ensure that the summer of 2016 is the last ozone season that we have to suffer from the excessive pollution spewed by this plant.”