Ameren announced that it will close two of its oldest, deadliest plants in Meredosia and Hutsonville, Illinois. Ameren is blaming EPA's new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) that regulates sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). The rule will force the oldest, dirtiest coal plants in America to either clean up their act or shut down. Apparently, it's working already.
Despite making billions of dollars in profits, Ameren refused to update pollution controls on these plants for decades. Failure to control their sulfur pollution is why Ameren plants import coal from out of state rather than using Illinois coal. The Meredosia plant imports coal from mountaintop removal mining operators.
Mary Anne Hitt wrote in her blog that the Cross State Air Pollution Rule is designed to prevent soot and smog pollution that contributes to health hazards like asthma attacks and heart attacks. EPA estimates that in just the first two years of enforcement, these protections will save up to 34,000 lives, prevent more than 19,000 emergency room visits, prevent 1.8 million missed work and school days and improve the lives of millions.
I'm glad to see Ameren's press release express their "regret" for the impact the closures will have on the economy of these two communities. I have yet to see Ameren express regret for premature deaths and other health impacts they inflicted on Illinois communities for decades by refusing to install basic pollution controls on their coal plants.
Illinois residents have suffered for the sake of Ameren's quarterly profit margin. Closing these dirty coal dinosaurs is the right decision.