NRG’s WA Parish coal-fired power plant in Fort Bend County has

threatened public health for decades. Based on recent modeling and NRG’s

own emissions data, this plant emits more sulfur dioxide pollution than is

safe for people to breathe. This pollution puts kids at risk where they play

outside, including public parks, recreation areas and at multiple schools in

the area. This map shows how far the plant’s toxic sulfur dioxide pollution

travels and who is at risk.

SULFUR DIOXIDE AIR POLLUTION

Exposure to sulfur dioxide pollution for even five minutes

can make it hard to breathe, and high levels of sulfur

dioxide can send someone to the emergency room. This

is especially dangerous for the more than 50,000 adults

and children in Fort Bend County currently living with

asthma. Coal burning plants like NRG’s Parish are the

largest sources of dangerous sulfur dioxide pollution in

the nation. In fact, Parish is one of the largest coal plants

in all of Texas with four large coal-burning boilers, and it

still lacks modern pollution safeguards commonly known

as “scrubbers” for the whole plant. Scrubbers help cut a

plant’s dangerous air pollutants including sulfur dioxide

but they don’t eliminate pollution entirely.

FAMILIES AT RISKToxic Pollution Threatens Texans at their Homes, Schools and Playgrounds

Thomas Elementary School

Dickinson Elementary School

Campbell Elementary School

Scanlan Oaks Elementary School

Velásquez Elementary School

Ryon Middle SchoolReading Junior High School

George Ranch High School

Brazos Bend State Park

All shaded areas exceed EPA’s one-hour limits on sulfur dioxide pollution of 196 micrograms per cubic meter.

350

196

250

300

Toxic SO2 Plume of the WA Parish Generating Station

WA Parish Generating Station

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NRG’S WA PARISH POSES A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH

Make no mistake: NRG’s pollution from Parish exceeds

safe levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency

and presents a serious public health problem for residents

living and spending time near the power plant —

particularly children, the elderly and people with asthma

who are most affected by high levels of sulfur dioxide

pollution.

Using smokestack pollution data straight from NRG and

other publicly available information, our experts created

an air pollution plume map to better illustrate which areas

are at highest risk. Darker colors on the map represent

areas with higher modeled hourly concentrations of sulfur

dioxide pollution. Our air quality modeling using actual

emissions reported by NRG predicts a maximum sulfur

dioxide concentration near the Parish plant of more than

twice the standard established by EPA to protect human

health. The Parish plant’s coal burning poses significant

health risks to residents. And, by way of comparison,

NRG Parish’s sulfur dioxide pollution is about 8 times the

amount of sulfur dioxide produced by all the refineries

combined in the Houston area.

With more than 7,000 children attending school near

this plant, where sulfur dioxide in the air is expected to

be present in unsafe concentrations, these levels are

particularly concerning. Even without considering existing

pollution levels, the Parish plant greatly exceeds public

health standards. And, as a result of NRG’s pollution,

the plant violates the EPA’s sulfur dioxide standard. The

unsafe sulfur pollution covers areas that include schools,

churches, residential neighborhoods, parks and other

recreation areas — meaning that members of these

communities who work, play, worship and spend time

outside in the area are exposed to the risks.

CREATING SULFUR DIOXIDE PLUME MAPS

The map was made by an expert air modeler using

established techniques and models frequently employed

by industry, non-profit organizations, and state

environmental agencies in accordance with the EPA’s

protocols for modeling the effects of sulfur dioxide

pollution. The modeler used publicly available information

including smokestack emissions data, smokestack

engineering details, plant characteristics, topographical

information and meteorological data to estimate the air

quality effects of NRG’s WA Parish coal plant.

WHAT CAN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS DO?

Are you concerned about the air quality in Fort Bend

County and the Greater Houston area? Do you have

children or know someone who is suffering from asthma?

If so, you’re not alone.

Stand with other families and neighbors in Fort Bend

County and with customers of NRG, Reliant, and Green

Mountain Energy and join the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal

Campaign! Together we’ll call on NRG to take responsibility

for its pollution and clean up or phase out the coal plant at

WA Parish and instead invest in more local, clean energy

solutions that improve our communities.