Cradle to the Grave

GracveCradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal

© 2001, PhotosToGo

© 2001, PhotosToGo

Cradle to Grave: The

Environmental Impacts

from Coal

Clean Air Task Force

77 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110

June, 2001

Clean Air Task Force

77 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110

Tel: (617) 292-0234

Fax: (617) 292-4933

CATF gratefully acknowledges support for this

report from the following foundations:

The Turner Foundation

The John Merck Fund

The Joyce Foundation

The Heinz Endowments

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund

The Energy Foundation

The Kapor Foundation

Credits:

Writer: Martha Keating, Clean Air Task Force

Editing: Ellen Baum, Clean Air Task Force

Amy Hennen, Izaak Walton League of America

Design Editor: Bruce Hill, Clean Air Task Force

Design: Jill Bock Design

Printing: Spectrum Printing & Graphics, Inc.

June, 2001

Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal

Cradle to Grave: The Environmental

Impacts from Coal

T

© 2001, PhotosToGo

he electric power industry is

the largest toxic polluter in

the country, and coal, which

is used to generate over half of

the electricity produced in the

U.S., is the dirtiest of all fuels.1

From mining to coal cleaning,

from transportation to electricity

generation to disposal, coal

releases numerous toxic pollutants into our air, our waters and onto our lands.2 Nationally, the cumulative impact of all of these effects is

magnified by the enormous quantities of coal burned each

year – nearly 900 million tons. Promoting more coal use

without also providing additional environmental safeguards will only increase this toxic abuse of our health

and ecosystems.

The trace elements contained in coal (and others

formed during combustion) are a large group of diverse

pollutants with a number of health and environmental

effects.3 They are a public health concern because at

sufficient exposure levels they adversely affect human

health. Some are known to cause...