Coal Burning Companies
Coal-fired power plants contribute to mercury and particulate pollution, arsenic and other toxic groundwater contamination, ozone smog, acid rain, regional haze, and global warming. There is a direct link between this pollution and human health. In 2010 alone, coal plants were responsible for 17,057 deaths, 26,248 heart attacks, 281,242 asthma attacks, and other severe health impacts. Many coal-fired power plants are located near low-income communities placing the greatest health burden on the people who can least afford it.
These polluters were selected based on the following criteria:
- The amount of coal burned
- The amount of pollution emitted from coal-fired plants
- Amount of coal ash waste produced and how it is handled
- Environmental health and safety violations
- Legal issues
- Aggregated health impacts
- Egregious environmental justice issues
- Influence peddling via political donations
Coal Mining Companies
Coal mining causes irreparable damage to land, water, and air and also poses risks to the health, safety, and vitality of local communities. The most destructive type of coal mining, known as mountaintop removal, involves coal companies literally blowing off the tops of mountains to reach thin seams of coal and leaving the debris in valleys and streams, leading to ecosystem damage and impaired landscapes. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, in West Virginia alone, more than 300,000 acres of hardwood forests and 1,000 miles of streams have been destroyed by mountaintop removal for coal.
The mining companies were selected based on the following criteria:
- Overall tons of coal mined
- Method of extraction
- Environment and safety regulation violations
- Influence peddling via political donations
