The 50 dirtiest U.S. power plants generate 14 percent of the nation's energy, but are reportedly responsible for nearly half of all emissions.
"A huge share of our emissions come from a few dirty plants," said Ilan Levin, author of the study "Dirty Kilowatts," issued by the non-profit Environmental Integrity Project.
Emission rates could be lowered up to 20 times if the power plants would install emission filters -- so-called scrubbers -- that are available and affordable, Levin said.
The report listed the nation's dirtiest plants by looking at the latest data in four emission categories -- carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and mercury -- and ranking the plants in proportion to energy output.
States that have the some of the largest concentration of polluting plants include Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
