New Analysis: Trump Actions Will Allow Millions More Tons of Harmful Pollutants into Texas Air and Water

Texas - A new analysis by the Sierra Club indicates that the Trump Administration's deregulatory actions will have severe environmental and public health consequences across the country, particularly in Texas. According to this data, available in an online interactive dashboard, recent decisions at the executive and EPA levels will allow coal plants in Texas to release more of the following pollutants into our air, water, and soil:

• 2,848 tons more wastewater pollution, a 122% increase (if the Effluent Limitations Guidelines are dismantled).
• 89,604 tons more sulfur dioxide, a 426% increase (if the Regional Haze Rule is dismantled). This represents 21% of the total SO2 increase for the entire country.
• 128 tons more particulate matter, a 33% increase (due to repealing the Mercury and Air Toxics, or MATS, rule, which is currently underway).
• 327 lbs more mercury, an 89% increase (due to repealing the MATS rule). This represents 38% of the total mercury increase for the entire country.
• 73,923,186 tons more carbon, a 567% increase (if the Greenhouse Gas Standard, also known as 111d, is dismantled). This represents 14% of the total carbon increase for the entire country.

"We knew Trump's recent actions would hurt Texas's air and water, but this new analysis shows just how much damage our federal government is willing to inflict just to line the pockets of wealthy donors," said James Perkins, a Sierra Club organizer based in Dallas."Texas leads the nation in many dirty pollutants, and people across the state will pay the price. We must join together and be louder than the rich and powerful - our lives and livelihoods are on the line."

The Clean Air Act, a decades-old Congressionally approved law, directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue rules curbing emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides, mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, wastewater pollution, and other toxic chemicals. These pollutants come from burning coal for electricity and are detrimental to public health. There are 12 Texas coal plants that are impacted by one or more of the environmental rules under threat.

In previous presidential administrations, the EPA finalized stronger rules to ensure that fewer people suffer due to industrial pollution. The Trump Administration, however, has announced its intent to dismantle many environmental safeguards, leaving people with very little protection against polluters.

The Texas coal plants that would be responsible for these pollution increases during the Trump Administration are as follows (source: EPA):

• Martin Lake (Panola County, southeast of Longview):
  • No. 2 nitrous oxide polluter in the nation.
  • No. 3 mercury polluter in the nation.
  • No. 8 sulfur dioxide polluter in the nation.
  • Owned by Luminant (parent company Vistra).
• Parish (Fort Bend County, near Houston):
  • No. 2 sulfur dioxide polluter in the nation.
  • Owned by NRG.
• Oak Grove (Robertson County, east of Waco):
  • No.1 mercury polluter in the nation.
  • Owned by Luminant (parent company Vistra).
• San Miguel (Atascosa County, in between San Antonio and Corpus Christi):
  • No. 5 mercury polluter in Texas.
  • Owned by San Miguel Electric Co-op.
• Limestone (Robertson County, east of Waco):
  • No. 4 mercury polluter in Texas.
  • Owned by NRG..
• Fayette (La Grange, east of Austin):
  • No. 10 mercury polluter in the nation.
  • Owned by LCRA and the City of Austin.
• Welsh (East Texas, north of Longview):
  • Owned by SWEPCO (parent company American Electric Power Co.).
• Sandy Creek (McLennan County, east of Waco):
  • Owned by LS Power, Brazos Sandy Creek Electric Cooperative, and LCRA.
• Twin Oaks (Robertson County east of Waco):
  • Owned by Armadillo Power LLC.
• Spruce (San Antonio):
  • Owned by CPS Energy.
• Coleto Creek (Goliad County southeast of San Antonio):
  • Owned by Luminant (parent company Vistra).
• Tolk (Texas Panhandle northwest of Lubbock):
  • Owned by Southwestern Public Service (parent company Xcel Energy).

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.