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Harrisburg, PA – On Tuesday, April 21, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that the Keystone and Conemaugh coal plants will remain open for an additional four years.
In response, Moms Clean Air Force Pennsylvania Field Organizer Vanessa Lynch released the following statement:
“There is nothing clean or affordable about coal fired electricity generation. The power plants emit mercury and other toxic pollutants and are expensive to operate. Mercury pollution from the Keystone and Conemaugh coal power plants is extremely dangerous for the brains of developing babies and children – there is no safe amount of mercury exposure. When pregnant women eat contaminated fish, mercury can cause long-term losses in IQ scores, impaired motor function, learning impairments, and behavioral problems in their children. As our federal government abandons critical mercury protections and touts false ‘benefits’ of coal, the governor’s announcement could not have come at a worse time.
“A better option is clean, renewable energy that does not create dangerous pollution that harms the health of Pennsylvania’s families and is more affordable at a time when the cost of electricity, groceries, and health insurance are soaring.”
The mercury and air toxics emitted by coal-burning Keystone and Conemaugh– the Commonwealth’s two largest polluting power plants– causes serious harm to mothers and babies. No amount of mercury is safe. Even worse, these two power plants have also been granted pollution passes from the Trump EPA to be exempt from Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, even though mercury safeguards significantly decrease mercury pollution with huge health benefits and low costs.
While a consent decree creates needed protections for environmental safeguards, coal power increases electricity costs for families. Slated to originally retire in 2028, under the new agreement, the Commonwealth’s two largest polluting power plants will now continue to operate for an additional four years, until 2032.
Moms Clean Air Force looks forward to working with the Governor and state leaders to ensure Pennsylvania’s energy transition embraces bold clean energy solutions focused on the quality of life our children inherit.
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