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Producing electricity from coal and oil releases a wide range of pollutants into the environment. In addition to toxic air pollution from power plant smoke-stacks, large volumes of toxic chemicals are produced at coal and oil-fired power plants and included in millions of tons of solid and liquid wastes that are typically disposed of at or near the power plants that generate these wastes. (reference)
|
Metal |
Raw coal |
Removed by Coal Washing |
Waste Disposal |
Air Emissions |
| (tons) | (tons) | (tons) | (tons) | |
|
Mercury |
109 |
13 |
44 |
52 |
|
Arsenic |
7884 |
3236 |
6275 |
47 |
|
Beryllium |
1167 |
189 |
4601 |
8 |
|
Cadmium |
750 |
251 |
6533 |
3 |
|
Chromium |
8810 |
2474 |
970 |
62 |
|
Nickel |
9339 |
2754 |
1305 |
52 |
|
Selenium |
2587 |
1098 |
496 |
184 |
source: Laid To Waste by the Clean Air Task Force Mar00
