The Daily Climate reports about a study in Nature Energy that shows that when coal-fired power plants have emissions controls put on, or are shut down, there is a decrease in inhaler use, and substantially fewer asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Researchers in Kentucky had inhalers that could measure each time they were used. They compared inhaler use for each person, before and after coal plants were closed or had emissions controls installed. They also studied information about emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.
One of the coal plants was retired (shut down), and three coal plants had extra pollution controls (scrubbers) installed due to the requirements of the Mercury and Air Toxics rule from 2012. Plants that install extra scrubbers usually cut their sulfur dioxide emissions in half.
The researchers found a 17% reduction in inhaler use after plants closed or had scrubbers installed . They found about 400 fewer hospital visits (E.D. and hospitalizations) each year in just that one county. The cost savings from fewer hospital visits quickly outweighed the cost of installing the scrubbers. And most important, the people who had asthma felt much better when they weren’t so sick. We can compare costs, but the human suffering from being needlessly sick is most important.
This study shows that:
1. Air pollution makes us sick.
2. Air regulations work, and keep us healthier.
Right now during the COVID crisis, EPA has suspended enforcement, and is in a frenzy to rollback regulations. Even though studies like this show that the regulations work to keep people healthier. Even though other studies show that air pollution makes COVID and other viral illnesses worse. It’s absurd.
To read the article in the Daily Climate, please visit this link.
To read the scientific study in Nature Energy, please visit this link.
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