Iowa
Coal & Health Study Released
by Paul Deaton
In
Iowa we hear that we need a “baseload” of electrical power to
provide the energy needed for industry, agriculture and our lives.
The truth is that while more than two thirds of Iowa's electricity is
generated by burning coal, a ratio much higher than the national
average, very few studies have been done on the effect reliance on coal has
on human health in the state, and we are only now beginning to
understand its unintended costs.
Physicians for Social Responsibility, with financial support from
Midwest REAMP Network and Plains Justice, finished a study of the
impact reliance on coal has on health outcomes in the state. From the
executive summary:
report represents a preliminary effort to correlate the known disease
burden and costs to Iowans of relying on coal to produce energy.
Information was drawn for correlation and analysis from a variety of
publicly available scientific resources, databases, and recently
published research pertinent to Iowa. Geographical mapping techniques
were utilized to synthesize graphical views comparing the
distributions of a group of index diseases with a variety of
environmental pollution sources to facilitate visualization of these
complex data sets. Qualitatively, results are provocative and
strongly suggest correlations between coal combustion and health in
Iowa.”
The
report makes specific policy recommendations including:
funding to more comprehensively track and monitor adverse health
events.
Tightened
standards for energy efficiency and their enforcement.
A
moratorium on new coal plants in Iowa & shuttering of the oldest
burners.
Tightened
standards for PM2.5.
Systematized
clean-up and containment of coal ash waste at the state & federal
level.
Elimination
of coal subsidies and tax and financial incentives.
~Paul
Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County and weekend
editor of Blog for Iowa. E-mail Paul
Deaton
**Now
through Election Day – Early Voting across Iowa**
Consult
your county auditor for details or
Go
to IowaDemocrats.org
to find out where and how to vote
early in your county.
Blog For Iowa 