a Adjusted for maternal age, maternal race, marital status, census block group income, and urban neighborhood. et al. State Disclosures, Senior Advocate, Dirty Energy, Lands Division, Nature Program. S 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. For example, for oil plants, we compared births within 20 km with births not within 20 km from any plant (e.g., excluding those who were closer to any other types of plant). Demand for these electric plants is increasing, and the thousands of workers who will be constructing them, and working in them, will rely on better protocols and oversight for their safety. S . Brook We further identified that solid waste plants had the strongest association with term LBW, while oil, gas, and solid waste plants all had strong associations with PTD and VPTD. It is an environmental justice screening and mapping tool that utilizes standarddata to highlight places that may have higher environmental burdens and vulnerable populations. D et al. et al. Bremner But coal is just about the dirtiest way to produce electricity, so almost anything will seem cleaner in comparison. Covariates were chosen on the basis of a directed acyclic graph (Supplementary Data available at http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/). H We use cookies to improve your experience. The national averages of low-income population and the people of color population are drawn as reference lines forcomparison. We stratified the plots by fuel type for comparison. 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. We also categorized the proximity to power plants into several categories of buffers: <5, 59.9, 1019.9, and 20 km. Additionally, we were not able to identify critical windows of exposure that underlie these associations. Because of accumulating evidence of a negative relationship between power plants and human health, a few studies have assessed the association between proximity to nuclear power plants and adverse birth outcomes, but no association was found (1719). I dont think it matters. You can walk around in a nuclear reactor perfectly safely now. I dont believe that there are any negative health effects Learn more. If a community is at or above the 80thpercentile nationally, it means that the community's population for a given demographic (for example, low-income) is an equal or higher percentage than where 80%of the U.S. population lives. Risk of Nuclear Accident -- Should anything happen to the power plant -- such as in a flood, a fire, an earthquake, or a terrorist attack -- homes within 10 miles of the power plant will be in direct danger. Caton 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. Updated March 27, 2012. Initial calculations conducted by the USB determined that about 400,000 standard cubic feet of natural gas had been released into the atmosphere within the 10 minutes prior to the incident. Strmgren We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Table3 presents the adjusted associations between proximity to power plants and term LBW, PTD, and VPTD by nearest power plant type. These pollutants are known to contribute to adverse health outcomes, including the development of heart or lung diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis, increased susceptibility to respiratory and cardiac symptoms, greater numbers of emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and premature deaths. Moshammer Exposures to levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5) stratified by power plant type in Florida from 2003 to 2005. J Though UCSs legislative effort did not succeed this year, UCS is committed to finding solutions that allow us to transition away from natural gas in a way that is not only economical, but also equitable. However, emissions from natural gas power plants are only a fraction of the emissions from stationary sources, so NOx emissions from natural gas power plants end up being roughly 1% of total NOx emissions in California. Association Between Proximity to Power Plants, by Fuel Type, and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Florida From 2004 to 2005. These mortality estimates were significantly higher for the older population. Soriano De Mouzon Oil and gas production poses all those risks. While a natural gas-fired power plant emits only about half the carbon dioxide as a coal plant, thats still far from zero. At this point you might be wondering, So how bad is it? et al. Would it be safe to live on land that once belonged to a nuclear power plant if that plant had no accidents? If everything had been done properly t Some of the highest-polluting natural gas power plants emit over 100 tons of NOx per year, which is roughly equivalent to the NOx emissions from traveling 11 million We overlaid geocoded residential addresses over the 12 12 km grids. EPA is committed to Environmental Justice (EJ) - the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people. LT VPTD was defined as a birth that occurred before 32 weeks of gestation. Maps by energy source and topic, includes forecast maps. Exploration and reserves, storage, imports and exports, production, prices, sales. Those NOx emissions may linger in nearby communities, leading to serious health problems for the people living near plants. Sign up or text "SCIENCE" to 67369. Steve Clemmer Vrijheid EM These associations remained consistent for PTD and VPTD when exposures were categorized (Table2). Dong Natural gas provides a cost-effective option for When stratifying by different fuel type, we found that only solid waste had an association with term LBW, whereas oil, gas, and solid waste all had an association with PTD and VPTD. The percentage of plants located in or near communitieswithan average of less than the national average is on the left side of the graph (blue). Energy & Financial Markets: What Drives Crude Oil Prices? BE Because living near power plants may expose people to additional sources of air pollution, this proximity may increase their risk of having negative health endpoints. X In addition to the data presented in these maps and graphs, a B With coal combustion accounting for approximately 45% of electricity produced in the United States, it may pose a serious public health issue. WebGangadharan et al. Results were consistent when exposure was categorized by number of power plants. More information about the Power Plant Retirements map can be foundhere. Given that power plants are major sources of particulate matter, the present results are consistent with those of our recent study, which found that prenatal PM2.5 exposure was positively associated with LBW, PTD, and VPTD (23). There are a lot of factors that you need to consider. Different countries have a different regulation regarding the measurements of where to reside . The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders or data provider. The fact of the matter is that natural gas power plants still produce a significant amount of air pollution, and thats a problem. 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). Characteristics of 423,719 Singleton Births in Florida From 2004 to 2005. Chang A detailed description of this method was reported elsewhere (23). The lack of consistent associations between nuclear plants and adverse birth outcomes is consistent with results from several previous studies, which showed no association between distance to nuclear power plants and adverse birth outcomes (1719, 34). Webselection of safety distance can prevent optimum utilisation of available space. 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. Lee ML Infrared video showing natural gas air pollution emissions at an Energy Corporation of America compressor station in Greene County, Pa., which is located about J You can filter the plants displayed on the map based on demographics, plant characteristics such as size and fuel type, and quantity of annual plant-level emissions of SO2, NOX, CO2, and PM2.5. See the health effects of ozoneand particulate matter pollution. Testing RFID blocking cards: Do they work? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. G 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). WebA gas-fired power plant is a type of fossil fuel power station in which chemical energy stored in natural gas, which is mainly methane, is converted successively into: thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy.Although they cannot exceed the Carnot cycle limit for conversion of heat energy into useful work the excess heat may be used in CC These pollutants have been linked to adverse birth outcomes in many studies. Association Between Proximity to Power Plants and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Florida From 2004 to 2005. Lee 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). The percentage of plants located in or near communities with an average greater than the national average is on the right side of the graph (green). They produce toxic and radioactive waste and spew it into the air, poisoning the environment, sickening people, and causing climate change. Oh wait Burning fossil fuels at power plants creates emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2),mercury (Hg), and other pollutants. T We also analyzed our exposure as a continuous variable and assumed that the association between proximity and the odds of adverse birth outcomes is linear on the logarithmic scale. One of the reasons for the differences may be a result of the spatial clustering of power plants. Zou Two logistic regression models were used for each outcome: The first model was unadjusted, and the second model was a parsimonious model adjusted for potential confounders on the basis of our directed acyclic graph (Supplementary Data). A) Daily concentrations of PM2.5 during the study period 20032005 at power plants; B) mean daily PM2.5 concentration at residential address during the first trimester for births in Florida from 2004 to 2005. et al. Does EIA have maps or information on the location of natural gas and oil pipelines? Although we chose PM2.5 to validate our exposure, power plants also emit other gaseous pollutants including carbon oxides, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxides (41), all of which are highly correlated (30). Lets make sure that does not happen. 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. Brumberg We used logistic regression models to investigate the association between proximity to a power plant and the adverse birth outcomes. Displays grown and controlled oxide of nitrogen projected emissions for 2019, excluding emissions from ocean-going vessels further than three nautical miles from the coast. 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. 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. EIA's free and open data available as API, Excel add-in, bulk files, and widgets. CA 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). An official website of the United States government. Data analyses were performed by using SAS, version 9.3, software (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina). Vijayaraghavan This study found that women with residential proximity to coal and solid waste plants were exposed to the highest concentrations of PM2.5 during the first trimester, and those closest to nuclear plants were exposed to the lowest concentrations. Power Plants and Neighboring Communities (xlsx) On average, males weigh 150 and 200 g more than females (36) given term birth, and they have a 9%24% increased risk for PTD (37). Forms EIA uses to collect energy data including descriptions, links to survey instructions, and additional information. Halonen Dominici What is a safe distance to live from a nuclear power plant? It is possible that socioeconomic status confounded the association that we observed in this study. Rajagopalan A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Lanki We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Lee C Receive urgent alerts about opportunities to defend science. Finally, the Hierarchical Bayesian Prediction Model data that we used to describe PM2.5 exposures were available at only 12 12 km resolution. Updated January 2012. Our study found evidence of increasing odds of adverse birth outcomes among infants born to pregnant women living closer to power plants. Because there was evidence of spatial clustering of power plants, distance from power plants may not be the best measure of exposure. JJ Hu 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. Energy use in homes, commercial buildings, manufacturing, and transportation. Fetal sex and preterm birth: Are males at greater risk? Natural gas transmission pipelines are wide-diameter pipelines and are often the long-distance portion of natural gas pipeline systems that connect gathering systems in producing areas, natural gas processing plants, and other receipt points to the main consumer service areas. Spengler Gas blows are routine practice within the industry. Y Called a gas blow, the operation involved workers streaming natural gas through a pipe at a high velocity in order to remove debris from new piping. HR J Nathanson Hu 2023 ZDNET, A Red Ventures company. A When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. A Williams We also categorized the proximity to power The following are the required setbacks to minimize exposure at different distances: 100 feet for 50 to 133kV transmission line 150 feet for 220 to 230kV transmission line 350 feet for 500 to 550kV transmission line J Abbreviations: aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; LBW, low birth weight; OR, odds ratio; PTD, preterm delivery; VPTD, very preterm delivery. I Furthermore, although power plant emissions are 1 of the major point sources of air pollution (21), which has been shown to have consistent association with adverse birth outcomes (22), there is limited information on air pollution exposure and pregnant women living close to specific types of power plants. One may argue that potential confounding may be caused by other variables that we did not adjust for. We wish to thank the Florida Department of Health for supplying the data. R To make long-term gains against infection inequity, infectious disease epidemiology needs to develop a more sociological imagination. Natural gas is a relatively clean burning fossil fuel. S For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Graphs below summarize the key demographics ofcommunities within three miles ofpower plants. Lesson plans, science fair experiments, field trips, teacher guide, and career corner. Table1 shows participants' characteristics by term LBW, PTD, and VPTD. U.S. Chemical Safety Board Lead Investigator Don Holmstrom said in a statement last week: We strongly caution natural gas power plants and other industries against the venting of high-pressure natural gas in or near work sites. Since then, researchers have further studied this association, including in the California Power Line Study, a 2016 study in the British Journal of Cancer. For example, you could filter the data to only display the largest emitting coal-fired plants with neighboring communities above the 80th percentile nationally of low-income population. J Wellhead natural gas may contain contaminants and hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) that must be removed before the natural gas can be safely transported through high-pressure, long-distance pipelines to consumers. 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. [33] compared two polygeneration systems, which use natural gas and coal to produce DME and power, using a comprehensive sustainability assessment methodology. 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 X Our results for covariates were consistent with those of other studies. The graph below compares the key demographics ofcommunities near power plants to national averages. To describe prenatal exposures to PM2.5, we estimated average daily residential exposures to PM2.5 during pregnancy for each birth using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. When the results for both analyses were compared, the conclusions were consistent, although those for categorical exposure are stronger. It is based on nationally consistent data and uses an approach that combines environmental indicatorsand demographics in maps and reports. M This work was supported by grant K01ES019177 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (X.X.) Which states consume and produce the most natural gas. For example, the fact that our study showed an increased proportion of females among the term LBW group and a decreased proportion of females among the PTD and VPTD groups confirmed previous findings. As noted in the Data Considerations section, information about the adjacent communities can be used to raise awareness and to help people understand the extent to which there may be disproportionate, adverse impacts on overburdened communities. Author affiliations: Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (Sandie Ha, Hui Hu, Xiaohui Xu); Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (Jeffrey Roth); and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China (Haidong Kan). 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