Ohio likely to remain No. 1 in air pollution

Friday, March 31, 2006
Spencer Hunt
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Graphic
Dirty business



The toxic waste that businesses released in Ohio in 2004 could fill 1,273 train cars. Still, the 280.1 million pounds is down from 2003, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials said yesterday. That year, the total was 287.3 million pounds. The 2.5 percent drop was the state’s seventh annual overall decline in toxic releases. But officials say they can’t tell if the latest decrease is because of environmental restrictions, a shorter list of chemicals or factories that have closed.
"It’s a mix of things," said Mark Besel, a toxic-release specialist at the Ohio EPA.

Despite the drop, Ohio likely remains the nation’s No. 1 air polluter.

Most pollution is regulated by state and federal permits, meaning factories, power plants and others can legally put toxins into the air, land and water.

Pollution rises and falls with the economy. The less steel, electricity and widgets Ohio’s mills, power plants and factories produce, the lower the amount of toxic waste.

American Electric Power provides a prime example.

The Columbus-based company’s five Ohio power stations produced 46.7 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2004, down from 47.7 million megawatt hours in 2003.

AEP’s toxic air releases also dropped from 28.2 million pounds to 27.4 million pounds, spokeswoman Melissa McHenry said. She said the company’s 2005 numbers could be slightly higher.

"It was hotter than typical in the summer of 2005 and colder than typical that December," McHenry said.

At the same time, businesses that close don’t pollute. For example, Techneglas Inc., a company that makes parts for glass television screens, reported releasing a lot less toxins after it closed its Columbus plant in 2004.

Techneglas released 51,285 pounds of lead, barium and antimony compounds in 2003. The next year, the company reported 1,042 pounds.

This year’s toxic inventory also is missing a chemical. Businesses stopped reporting a compound called methyl ethyl ketone after chemical companies won a federal lawsuit demanding it no longer be listed.

Ohio businesses released more than 1.5 million pounds of this solvent, which irritates the eyes and lungs and can cause headaches, nausea and confusion.

Besel said Ohio likely will keep its No. 1 ranking among states for toxic air pollution. The U.S. EPA’s annual Toxic Release Inventory is due in coming weeks.

The 127 million pounds of chemicals released into Ohio’s air in 2004 is still considerably more than the 100.7 million pounds the No. 2 state, North Carolina, reported in 2003.

Ohio has been at or near the top of the list air pollution since the U.S. EPA changed toxic-release reporting in 1998 to include power plants.

"Nine of (Ohio’s) top 10 airreleasing facilities are power plants," Besel said.

well, it's good to know we're #1 with something I suppose.