Why Coal-Fired Power Plants Are Devastating a Water System Near You

‘The canary in the coal mine is singing. The coal industry, which fuels around 33 percent of electricity generation in the United States, is collapsing, hastened by competition, low natural gas prices and sluggish growth in electricity demand. In addition, the coal industry has been battered by new federal standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that limit the amount of mercury and other air pollutants, including toxic metals like arsenic. The new rules are forcing utility companies to shutter their coal-fired power plants and launch new plants that combust natural gas.
In April, Peabody Energy, America’s largest coal company, filed for Chapter 11, a move coal opponents have hailed as the death knell for the entire industry. But Peabody isn’t alone: Around 44 percent of America’s coal came from companies in bankruptcy, according to an analysis published earlier this year by SNL Energy, a market intelligence firm.’
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