Volunteers with MaryPIRG's campaign to pass the Healthy Air Act recently erected a 20-foot tall inflatable power plant on Hornbake Plaza to raise awareness about the dangers of coal-fired power plants. The students also gathered over 200 signatures to state legislators in support of the Healthy Air Act, which were later delivered in person to all of the legislators in Annapolis.
Background:
Energy
companies operate seven power plants in Maryland
that pollute far more than all other power plants combined. Of the pollution
from Maryland
power plants, these seven plants alone emit 63 percent of the smog-forming
pollution, 96 percent of the soot pollution, 83 percent of the global warming
pollution and 100 percent of the mercury pollution. This pollution causes severe health and environmental problems.
The Healthy Air Act will require the six dirtiest power
plants in Maryland
to reduce the pollution that causes smog, soot, global warming, the dead zone
in the bay, and mercury contamination of fish. It will require reductions of 75 percent in nitrogen oxide
emissions, 85 percent in sulfur dioxide, 90 percent in mercury and 10 percent in carbon dioxide.
