Missouri Sierra Club Launches Dashboard to Highlight Risks of Coal Pollution Rollbacks
The Missouri Sierra Club has introduced a new tool, the "Trump Coal Pollution Dashboard," which illustrates the potential harmful impact of proposed rollbacks to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on coal pollution. This interactive mapping tool reveals how five key EPA rules, currently under threat, contribute to reducing toxic emissions from coal plants. If these regulations are eliminated, the dashboard predicts an increase of over 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and more than 325,000 tons of toxic wastewater annually.
Gretchen Waddell Barwick, director of the Missouri chapter of the Sierra Club, emphasizes the urgent need for awareness, stating, "It is literally a matter of life and death." She highlights the public health risks, such as respiratory illnesses and mercury poisoning from contaminated fish, due to emissions from the state’s 11 coal plants.
While supporters, including the National Mining Association, argue for the reliability of coal and its role in maintaining local jobs, the Sierra Club aims to inform communities about the consequences of regulatory changes. As of 2024, there are approximately 240 coal-fired plants in operation across the U.S., contributing to around 15% of the nation’s electricity—a significant decline from nearly 50% in 2011.
The dashboard serves as a call to action for communities to understand their environmental health and advocate for stronger pollution controls amidst ongoing political debates over energy policy.
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