N The type of nearest power plant was also identified by fuel type. J Monthly and yearly energy forecasts, analysis of energy topics, financial analysis, congressional reports. Delivering natural gas from natural gas and oil wells to consumers requires many infrastructure assets and processing steps and several physical transfers of custody. Chang 2023 ZDNET, A Red Ventures company. When considering whether a property is eligible for an FHA-insured loan, HUD requires that "a site be rejected if the property being appraised is subject to hazards, environmental contaminants, noxious odors, offensive sights or excessive noises to the point of endangering the physical improvements or affecting the livability of the property, its marketability or the health and safety of its occupants." The study also found that women living near 1 or more power plants located within a 20 km radius from their residence had higher odds of adverse birth outcomes. 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). We geocoded 423,719 singleton Florida births born from 2004 to 2005 and all active power plants and determined residential proximity to the nearest power plant for each birth. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. et al. We also compared the odds for different buffer sizes of <5, 59.9, 1019.9, and 20 km from a power plant. MS In Scheme 1, the syngas that results from coal gasification was divided into two parts; one part went to the Accessed December 6, 2014, US Power Plant Global Warming Emissions Rising in 2013 AfterYears of Decline, Birth defects in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Germany, Congenital anomalies, prematurity, and low birth weight rates in relation to nuclear power plant proximity, Pregnancy outcome of women in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Taiwan, Increased risk of preterm delivery in women residing near thermal power plants in Taiwan, Using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model to estimate public health impacts of PM, Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) and pregnancy outcomes: a meta-analysis, The effects of air pollution on adverse birth outcomes, Fuel sources and carbon dioxide emissions by electric power plants in the United States, Published March 2009. Some towns in Texas have setbacks of up to 1,000 feet from a home, fresh water well, school, hospital or public park. Sales, revenue and prices, power plants, fuel use, stocks, generation, trade, demand & emissions. Furthermore, when studying a proposed natural gas power plant, a California Energy Commission analysis found that local one-hour concentrations of NO2 (one form of NOx) would nearly double from their background levels. RD CA Fig. In general, the concentrations of PM2.5 were highest around coal plants followed by solid waste, gas, oil, other, and nuclear plants (Figure2A). FHA insures home mortgages to help Americans buy homes. NOXandSO2emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine PM, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and exposure to mercury can increase the possibility ofhealthissues ranging from cancer to immune system damage. Albaladejo The pamphlet I got in the mail the other day shows drawings that include three gas turbines, three step up transformers, gas compressor building and three stack towers coming off the turbines. Crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, diesel, propane, and other liquids including biofuels and natural gas liquids. et al. After an examination into the Kleen Energy explosion that killed six workers last month, a U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator expresses concerns over one of the industry's standard practices. Y The color of the marker indicates fuel type and the marker size represents projected retired nameplate capacity (MW). HS Some places in the country, however, still have setbacks for homes that are less then 300 feet. Cifuentes 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. A recent risk analysis estimated that particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5) and ozone, estimated from the 2005 air quality level, were responsible for 130,000 and 4,700 excess deaths, respectively (9). Power Plants and Neighboring Communities (xlsx) R All rights reserved. Xu Prenatal exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter for women living near different types of power plants was also determined by using National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network data. These associations remained consistent for PTD and VPTD when exposures were categorized (Table2). Y Peacock A three-mile radius isconsistent with environmental justice literature and studies, including theEJ Screening Reportfor the Clean Power Plan. M On Florida birth certificates, the gestational age in weeks is typically determined by ultrasound measurements. Manzanares et al. More information about the Power Plants and Neighboring Communities Mapping Tool can be foundhere. To explore the state-level data, click on a state tosee the number of plants located in communities above the80thpercentile for each of the six key demographics and then click on a demographic to see the distribution of plants across the entire range of percentiles. More research is warranted to better understand the causal relationship. Second, we use PM2.5 as a surrogate for pollution from power plants to determine 1) the level of pollution exposure during pregnancy for women living close to power plants and 2) whether the amount of pollution depends on fuel type. a Adjusted for maternal age, maternal race, education, marital status, census block group income, and urban neighborhood. Can living near a nuclear power plant cause cancer? All rights reserved. Energy & Financial Markets: What Drives Crude Oil Prices? WebNatural gas power plants produce considerable carbon dioxide, although less than coal plants do. In addition to the data presented in these maps and graphs, a et al. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Underground Natural Gas Storage by Storage Type, The Basics of Underground Natural Gas Storage, Natural Gas Processing: The Crucial Link Between Natural Gas Production and Its Transportation to Market. Natural gas storage during periods of low demand helps to ensure that enough natural gas is available during periods of high demand. As paradoxical as it may sound, California may continue to achieve its global warming emissions reduction goals and increase air pollution from natural gas power plants at the same time. et al. Nearest distance to a power plant showed significant and negative regression coefficients with four neurobehavioral symptoms: affective problems, anxiety problems, Anderson Neuberger Since then, researchers have further studied this association, including in the California Power Line Study, a 2016 study in the British Journal of Cancer. b Nuclear plants are categorized differently because there are no births with 2 or more nuclear plants within 20 km. Full understanding of safety distances is typically only achieved when it is too late to implement without significant changes. Burning fossil fuels to produce electricity creates emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2),mercury (Hg) and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and other pollutants. 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 We also created 20 km buffers around each birth and determined the total number of power plants within this buffer (Table4). T Zhu The lack of a positive association could be explained by the fact that, compared with other types of plants, nuclear plants do not emit as many atmospheric pollutants in high concentrations (e.g., PM2.5, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxides) (35). 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 Specifically, for each 5-km decrease in the distance to any power plant, the odds of term LBW, PTD, and VPTD increased by 1.1% (odds ratio (OR) = 1.011, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.002, 1.020), 1.8% (OR = 1.018, 95% CI: 1.013, 1.023), and 2.2% (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.010, 1.034), respectively. In categorical exposure analyses, no association was found. H et al. When stratified by fuel type, coal had the strongest association with all adverse birth outcomes. A When hydrogen is added to the natural gas fuel mix, the carbon emissions fall even more. Because there was evidence of spatial clustering of power plants, distance from power plants may not be the best measure of exposure. Caton PTD was defined as a birth that occurred before 37 but at or after 32 weeks of gestation. WebDistance from the nearest power plants was measured in kilometers. et al. HL Gouveia Su Many U.S. power plants produce CO 2 emissions. O'Brien The map displays all fossil fuel-fired power plants that supply electricity to the grid. Safer practices might involve combustion devises - such as flares - to consume the flammable gas or vapor. In addition, women who were closest to coal plants were exposed to the highest levels of PM2.5 (mean = 10.7 (standard deviation (SD), 2.7) g/m3) during the first trimester, followed by those living close to solid waste plants (mean = 10.1 (SD, 1.8) g/m3), gas plants (mean = 9.5 (SD, 2.1) g/m3), and oil plants (mean = 9.3 (SD, 1.8) g/m3). LA Reports requested by congress or otherwise deemed important. The following map displays the percentage of plants within each state that are in communities with at least one key demographic at or above the 80thpercentile nationally. SA et al. Chang H M 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. Senior Energy Analyst, James Gignac et al. For each demographic, the percentages of these communities within three miles of a power plant greater than and less than the national averages are displayed. Recurring messages. R Visintainer et al. By continuing, you accept our use of cookies. Vrijheid C Energy use in homes, commercial buildings, manufacturing, and transportation. 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. Compared with pregnant women who lived with no power plants within a 20 km radius, women living near 2 power plants had a 7% increased odds of term LBW (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.12), 12% increased odds of PTD (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.15), and 17% increased odds of VPTD (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.25). JJ Like most retrospective studies, this study has several limitations. 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. Our continuous exposure analysis showed that proximity to nuclear plants was protective against PTD, but not term LBW or VPTD. BE Shi This is especially true because the by-products of coal plants also include toxic components including sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides, all of which are also associated with negative health outcomes (32). In addition, we also overlaid geocoded active power plants and the 12 12 km grids to determine the daily PM2.5 concentrations near the power plants during the study period. et al. Maps, tools, and resources related to energy disruptions and infrastructure. Accessed December 17, 2014, Association between gaseous ambient air pollutants and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Vancouver, Canada, Ambient air pollution and term birth weight in Texas from 1998 to 2004, Traffic-related air toxics and term low birth weight in Los Angeles County, California, Association between local traffic-generated air pollution and preeclampsia and preterm delivery in the south coast air basin of California, Emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal-fired Power Plants, Exposure to air pollution during different gestational phases contributes to risks of low birth weight, Congenital abnormalities and indicators of germinal mutations in the vicinity of the Paks nuclear plant, Hungary, Risk factors for low birth weight: a review. Distance from the nearest power plants was measured in kilometers. The power sector has significantly reduced many of these pollutants over the past two decades, but important health and environmental concerns persist. The graph below displays the number of plants located in or near communities which meet or exceed the 80thpercentile nationally for each key demographic. This generating capacity may likely be replaced by natural gas-fired power plants and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. KO These data are based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's Hierarchical Bayesian Prediction Model output (25). Roth In his role, he leads research and advocacy efforts in California and other Western states to advance the transition to a less polluting and less carbon-intensive energy system. L C Siffel . S According to projections from the California Air Resources Board, stationary sources account for roughly 21% of NOx emissions, while mobile sources account for a whopping 74% of NOx emission in the state. Few studies have assessed the associations between residential proximity to power plants and adverse birth outcomes including preterm delivery (PTD), very preterm delivery (VPTD), and term low birth weight (LBW). 4.5 shows the two schemes considered by the authors. 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. One may argue that potential confounding may be caused by other variables that we did not adjust for. With coal combustion accounting for approximately 45% of electricity produced in the United States, it may pose a serious public health issue. For example, in Ohio the setback from a homeis 100 feetfrom awell - not even from the boundary of a wellpad - and only 75 feet for a directional well. 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 JK However, proximity was our best available surrogate for exposure, and it potentially captures all the pollutants emitted by different types of power plants. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Table2 provides the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the association between proximity to power plants and term LBW, PTD, and VPTD. This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com. Natural gas power plants emit more NOx when they are starting up; on average, they emit anywhere between three and seven times as much NOx during start-up than during one hour of full-load operation. Cons. T Explore additional graphs that show distributions of generation and emissions for each of the demographics. Geer S Notethat this applies to the site boundary, not to theactual well site.". M Accessed March 8, 2014, Combining different sources of particulate data using Bayesian space-time modeling, First trimester exposure to ambient air pollution, pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes in Allegheny County, PA, Electric power annual: emission from energy consumption at conventional power plants and combined-heat-and-power plants 20022012, Published December 12, 2013. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is home to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Comprehensive data summaries, comparisons, analysis, and projections integrated across all energy sources. Uranium fuel, nuclear reactors, generation, spent fuel. AR . A recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that natural gas power plants in California will start and stop much more frequently in the future, and this increase in natural gas plant start-ups may increase NOx emissions. et al. EPA is committed to Environmental Justice (EJ) - the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and significantly reduced many of these pollutants over the past two decades, Mapping Power Plants and Neighboring Communities, GraphingPower Plants and Neighboring Communities, EJ Screening Reportfor the Clean Power Plan, Frequent Questions about Power Plants and Neighboring Communities, Power Plants and Neighboring Communities Webinar. This method assumes that pregnant women stayed at those same addresses throughout their pregnancy. During the study period, power plants in the United States emitted an estimated annual average of 2,491,971 metric tons of carbon dioxide, 10,431 metric tons of sulfur dioxide, and 4,212 metric tons of nitric oxides (27). To describe exposures to PM2.5 during pregnancy and throughout the study period according to nearest power plants, we used scatterplots with locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) functions (smooth = 0.5) to display averaged daily concentrations during the first trimester (y-axis) by date of delivery (x-axis), as well as daily concentrations (y-axis) by date during the study period (x-axis). Note: The demographic information is obtained from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey (ACS) 2014-2018 5-year summary file data, which is based on 2018 Census boundaries. EIA's free and open data available as API, Excel add-in, bulk files, and widgets. 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. This association remained consistent in our analyses for total number of power plants within a 20 km radius and stratified analyses for different types of power plants. To make long-term gains against infection inequity, infectious disease epidemiology needs to develop a more sociological imagination. Delfino One of the reasons for the differences may be a result of the spatial clustering of power plants. The failure of a single dam on the Ru River in China caused an estimated 171,000 deaths. . Liu 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. We will Closing large fossil fuel-fired plants may have immediate and lasting effects on the surrounding communities and should be considered when evaluating a community's future potential vulnerability for environmental justice concerns. air pollution, California, clean energy, emissions, natural gas, NOx. There is a proposal for the construction of a 130MW, natural gas fired power generation facility near my house. As close as you want, just not very close to the plant. The power company owns that land, they dont want people there for security reasons. Moreover, there is recent evidence suggesting that harmful emissions from power plants may be increasing (16). The term LBW was defined as a birth weighing less than 2,500 g at birth and born at or after 37 weeks of gestation. Natural gas is burned to generate heat, electricity, and hot water. Oil and gas production poses all those risks. Roberts SC ommunities with a people of color percentage greater than the national average and a low-income percentage less than the national average. Catov This association is also consistent with our data that showed, on average, that women close to nuclear plants and other plants were exposed to lower levels of PM2.5.
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