Laughlin plant No. 1 in lead pollution

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.

Two national environmental groups discovered that of all the coal and oil-fired power plants in the United States, the No. 1 polluter for emitting lead is in Southern Nevada's backyard.

According to data on 2002 pollution emissions -- the latest year available -- reported to the EPA, the Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin released 55,116 pounds of lead. The second-highest emitter, Mount Storm Power Station in West Virginia, emitted 8,900 pounds.

Clear the Air and the National Environmental Trust released a report Thursday called "Beyond Mercury," analyzing scientific data from the annual federal Toxic Release Inventory, or TRI. The Environmental Protection Agency publishes TRI results from industries that report what they release to the air, water and soil.

"Mercury is a serious threat," said Dan Geary, Nevada representative of the National Environmental Trust, "but the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate mercury and all other air toxins from power plants. The (Bush) administration's net effect on non-mercury toxins is zero."

The Laughlin plant ranked seventh in the nation for sending arsenic into the air and 10th nationwide for chromium.

Lead, arsenic and chromium are all metallic elements that can be dangerous to human health.

"The administration's attempt to ignore toxic threats could have serious consequences," Michelle Kennedy, representing the Nevada Wildlife Federation, said.

Nevada ranked second this year on the amount of mercury released into the environment, bumped down by Alaska in the No. 1 spot. The state's gold and silver mines are the sole source of mercury.

Environmental groups reviewed the information released by Environmental Protection Agency in June and discovered the other metals coming from the power plant.

Southern California Edison, operator of the Mohave station, said that the power plant complies with all state and federal environmental limits.

"Our releases have shown a downward trend since reporting began in 1999," a prepared statement said.

Air quality samples taken near the plant show levels of chemicals in the inventory "well below" EPA limits, the SCE statement said.

"Furthermore, 99 percent of the lead, and more than 80 percent of the chromium and arsenic releases from Mohave, are not into the air or water, but trapped within the coal ash," the statement said.

Coal ash disposal is regulated by the EPA.