a Adjusted for maternal age, maternal race, marital status, census block group income, and urban neighborhood. Zeitlin Some layersare not visible until the map is zoomed in. et al. A WebA gas-fired power plant is a type of fossil fuel power station in which chemical energy stored in natural gas, which is mainly methane, is converted successively into: thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy.Although they cannot exceed the Carnot cycle limit for conversion of heat energy into useful work the excess heat may be used in A JK In fact, the rise of natural gas to become the leading U.S. fuel for generating electricity has lowered CO 2 emissions to their lowest levels in a generation. Visintainer Seigneur Air pollution has been extensively linked to many negative health outcomes ranging from cardiorespiratory diseases (13) to hospitalizations (46) and mortality (7, 8). State energy information, including overviews, rankings, data, and analyses. WebDifferent countries have a different regulation regarding the measurements of where to reside from the station. Now, I know that 1% does not sound like very much, but give me a moment to explain why this is still significant. Lee Characteristics of 423,719 Singleton Births in Florida From 2004 to 2005. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. We strongly caution natural gas power plants and other industries against the venting of high-pressure natural gas in or near work sites. HS Living next to natural gas wells is no fun From health threats to truck traffic, from rank odors to sinking property values, Coloradans explain what it's like to live near All rights reserved. On the other hand, the process of getting natural gas from where it's mined to the power plants leads to considerable release of methane Fann This generating capacity may likely be replaced by natural gas-fired power plants and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. However, emissions from natural gas power plants are only a fraction of the emissions from stationary sources, so NOx emissions from natural gas power plants end up being roughly 1% of total NOx emissions in California. For example, you could filter the data to only display the largest emitting coal-fired plants with neighboring communities above the 80th percentile nationally of low-income population. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The 50 mile safe distance that the U.S. government recommended to Americans was shown on the map. Dong Vrijheid Furthermore, although power plant emissions are 1 of the major point sources of air pollution (21), which has been shown to have consistent association with adverse birth outcomes (22), there is limited information on air pollution exposure and pregnant women living close to specific types of power plants. et al. Some places in the country, however, still have setbacks for homes that are less then 300 feet. et al. Lets make sure that does not happen. Eshoul G AR For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. In categorical exposure analyses, no association was found. We used logistic regression models to investigate the association between proximity to a power plant and the adverse birth outcomes. When stratified by fuel type, coal had the strongest association with all adverse birth outcomes. 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). A three-mile radius isconsistent with environmental justice literature and studies, including theEJ Screening Reportfor the Clean Power Plan. UCS recently co-sponsored a bill in the California legislature that was designed to shed light on pollution from natural gas power plants and require better planning for pollution reductions from plants. Something ignited the gas that was being used in a scheduled cleaning procedure at the Kleen Energy Plant in Connecticut. Oudin G When stratified by type of plants in order to compare birth outcomes among women who lived close to or farther from different types of power plants, our data showed that solid waste plants had associations with all adverse birth outcomes. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. et al. R 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). Yu We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With coal combustion accounting for approximately 45% of electricity produced in the United States, it may pose a serious public health issue. et al. The photo to the right shows gas venting out of an open pipe shortly before the explosion on February 7th. Liu Women who lived closer to coal and solid waste power plants were exposed to higher levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter compared with other types. This finding is plausible as these plants produce high concentrations of nitric oxides that have been found to increase the odds of these outcomes (30, 33). The results remained consistent when exposure was categorized (Table3). Peacock C A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Brook 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. On Florida birth certificates, the gestational age in weeks is typically determined by ultrasound measurements. While a natural gas-fired power plant emits only about half the carbon dioxide as a coal plant, thats still far from zero. H Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; LBW, low birth weight; OR, odds ratio; PM2.5, particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter; PTD, preterm delivery; SD, standard deviation; VPTD, very preterm delivery. Four people died last year during a gas blow at a ConAgra Slim Jim factory in North Carolina. In addition, when exposure was changed to number of plants within 20 km, coal plants had the highest association with all adverse birth outcomes. . The following sections are presented below: There are over 3,400 fossil fuel-fired power plants in the United States. Fetal sex and preterm birth: Are males at greater risk? Ren These findings are consistent with the fact that coal and solid waste power plants produce relatively larger amounts of particulate emissions compared with other types of power plants. 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. Ha These emissions really can affect local air quality, and that is why this is a problem. HL Quantifying the risk Because pollution can travel over long distances from a power plant, the impacts of both potential increases and decreases in power plant emissions can be felt many miles away, meaning that the air quality in a community can be due to far-distant sources as well as those sited within a community. In Scheme 1, the syngas that results from coal gasification was divided into two parts; one part went to the Wellhead natural gas may contain contaminants and hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) that must be removed before the natural gas can be safely transported through high-pressure, long-distance pipelines to consumers. 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. Which states consume and produce the most natural gas. Williams The source population was all livebirths recorded by the Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics (Florida Vital Records), from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2005 (n = 445,028). 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 and a University of Florida Graduate School fellowship (S.H.). et al. Additionally, we were not able to identify critical windows of exposure that underlie these associations. et al. Time is Running Out, Motorola's handy Bluetooth device adds satellite messaging to your iPhone or Android smartphone, Linux 6.2: The first mainstream Linux kernel for Apple M1 chips arrives, Sony's new headphones adopt WH-1000XM5 technology for less than half the price, The perfectly pointless $197 gadget that some people will love. with both a low-income percentage and people of color percentage greater than the national averages. Does EIA have maps or information on the location of natural gas and oil pipelines? If something happens to go wrong at a nuclear reactor, anyone living in a 10-mile radius of the plant may Lamson But HUD goes further and states that "Operating and abandoned oil and gas wells pose potentialhazards to housing, including potential fire, explosion,spray and other pollution.No existing dwelling may be located closer than 300 feet from an active or planned drilling site. Includes hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and ethanol. This study found that women with residential proximity to coal and solid waste plants were exposed to the highest concentrations of PM2.5 during the first trimester, and those closest to nuclear plants were exposed to the lowest concentrations. M Nearest distance to a power plant showed significant and negative regression coefficients with four neurobehavioral symptoms: affective problems, anxiety problems, We further stratified analyses for different types of plants. N Senior Energy Analyst, James Gignac To compare continuous and categorical characteristics for participants with and without the 3 adverse birth outcomes, we performed t tests and 2 tests. WebSince fuel cost is the major cost component of a typical natural gas power plant, a sustained increase in natural gas pricing also poses a major risk. 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). 3rd Fig. Y keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Martinez Reserves, production, prices, employment and productivity, distribution, stocks, imports and exports. Out of all the different risks investigated thus far, an increase in natural gas price from $6/GJ to $9/GJ causes the biggest increase in the average electricity price required. See the health effects of ozoneand particulate matter pollution. Therefore, this discrepancy is likely to bias our results toward the null. Geographical distribution of power plants and average annual levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5) in Florida during the study period from 2003 to 2005. Ha Spengler 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 We chose first trimester because 1) first trimester exposure to PM2.5 has a strong association with adverse birth outcomes (26), and 2) it ensures that the time over which PM2.5 is averaged is similar for cases and controls. More research is warranted to better understand the causal relationship. To help answer questions about environmental justice in the communities around power plants, information on the following six key demographics (e.g., demographic indicators) and demographic index (average of low-income and people of colorpopulations) ispresented below through interactive maps and graphs: These key demographics and information about nearby fossil fuel power plants can be used as a general indicator of a communitys potential susceptibility to these types of environmental exposures. Exposure to various air pollutants has also been linked to adverse pregnancy-related and birth outcomes including gestational hypertension, premature delivery, and low birth weight (1013). Like most retrospective studies, this study has several limitations. Association Between Proximity to Power Plants, by Fuel Type, and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Florida From 2004 to 2005. 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. Data analyses were performed by using SAS, version 9.3, software (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina). et al. et al. First, natural gas power plants do not move they just sit there and emit NOx when they are operating. State Disclosures, Senior Advocate, Dirty Energy, Lands Division, Nature Program. Bronson AE For term LBW, only those living between 10 and 20 km away from any power plant had increased odds. Short, timely articles with graphics on energy, facts, issues, and trends. Liu VPTD was defined as a birth that occurred before 32 weeks of gestation. Anenberg Chang et al. In addition to the data presented in these maps and graphs, a ML Thanks to the Northeast Ohio Gas Accountability Project (NEOGAP) for this information. Nathanson L The following are the required setbacks to minimize exposure at different distances: 100 feet for 50 to 133kV transmission line 150 feet for 220 to 230kV transmission line 350 feet for 500 to 550kV transmission line How much NOx is coming from natural gas power plants? That is where things get complicated. R The type of nearest power plant was also identified by fuel type. Ha et al. Wellhead natural gas may contain contaminants and hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) that must be removed before the natural gas can be safely delivered to the high Finally, the Hierarchical Bayesian Prediction Model data that we used to describe PM2.5 exposures were available at only 12 12 km resolution. Zhu Weedon Some places in the country, however, still have setbacks for homes that are less then 300 feet. The impurities in wellhead natural gas determine the number of stages and the processes required to produce pipeline-quality, dry natural gas. Displays grown and controlled oxide of nitrogen projected emissions for 2019, excluding emissions from ocean-going vessels further than three nautical miles from the coast. AD Mangones However, women may have moved during pregnancy, leading to potential exposure misclassification. Natural gas power accounts for about 20 percent of the nation's electricity. Moshammer Greenhouse gas data, voluntary reporting, electric power plant emissions. L Su Additional layers which can be toggled on/off include power plant emissions, area demographics, and tribal areas. To make long-term gains against infection inequity, infectious disease epidemiology needs to develop a more sociological imagination. These results call for further investigation to confirm our results and to investigate the specific pollutants generated from power plants that are responsible for this association. Table2 provides the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the association between proximity to power plants and term LBW, PTD, and VPTD. We stratified the plots by fuel type for comparison. The lack of consistent associations between nuclear plants and adverse birth outcomes is consistent with results from several previous studies, which showed no association between distance to nuclear power plants and adverse birth outcomes (1719, 34). After exclusion of births that had addresses outside Florida (n = 4,672); births that were missing address (n = 423), unable to geocode (e.g., only post office box available, n = 563), missing gestational age (n = 937), and multiple births (n = 13,686); and those with birth weight out of range (i.e., <500 and >5,000 g) (n = 903) and those with gestational age out of range (i.e., <140 days and >320 days) (n = 125), 423,719 births remained for analyses. Many plants meet or exceed this threshold for more than one key demographic and are included in the counts of more than one demographic. Sales, revenue and prices, power plants, fuel use, stocks, generation, trade, demand & emissions. Some of the highest-polluting natural gas power plants emit over 100 tons of NOx per year, which is roughly equivalent to the NOx emissions from traveling 11 million Quadrant D shows power plants located in or nearcommunities with both the low-income and people of color percentages less than the national averages. (20), who reported that the odds of PTD were 14 times higher among women who lived within 3 km of a thermal power plant compared with those who lived farther than 3 km. Moreover, there is recent evidence suggesting that harmful emissions from power plants may be increasing (16). Natural gas delivery infrastructure has three categories: Natural gas transported on the mainline natural gas transportation (pipeline) system in the United States must meet specific quality measures so that the pipeline network (or grid) provides uniform-quality natural gas. Figure2A and 2B illustrate PM2.5 exposure by types of power plants. We wish to thank the Florida Department of Health for supplying the data. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Siffel 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. The percentage of plants located in or near communities with an average greater than the national average is on the right side of the graph (green). Bremner 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). 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. SC You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and Table1 shows participants' characteristics by term LBW, PTD, and VPTD. Chen When ultrasound is not available, fundal height (determined by clinical examination) or menstrual history is used to estimate gestational age. et al. Thus, the primary purpose of this retrospective cohort study is to estimate the association between residential proximity to power plants and risk of adverse birth outcomes including term low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PTD), and very preterm delivery (VPTD) among singleton births in Florida from 2004 to 2005. et al. All rights reserved. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy We also used Census 2000 data to determine census block group income as a proxy for neighborhood socioeconomic status and urbanity. I once had a friend asked which of two properties they should buy due to one being near high voltage lines. My answer was simple, I would buy the o Stolz Romieu WebNatural gas power plants produce considerable carbon dioxide, although less than coal plants do. Chen Manzanares Burning fossil fuels at power plants creates emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2),mercury (Hg), and other pollutants. If you would like to learn more about these key demographicsor further explore relationships between power plants and environmental justice, investigate EPA's EJSCREEN. H The first trimester was defined as the first 13 weeks of gestation. Xu This practice, although common, is inherently unsafe. 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