An environmental group is targeting a power plant near Rockport, saying it’s the second most toxic power plant in Indiana.
The Sierra Club says the EPA's latest toxic pollution report underscores why the group is targeting the Indiana Michigan power plant in its effort to close aging coal-burning facilities.
The EPA's Toxic Release Inventory report shows the Rockport plant released nearly six-million pounds of toxic pollution in 2014.
The Sierra Club’s Steve Francis says in a news release that all of us should demand that I&M reduce toxic emissions by retiring the Spencer County plant and investing in cleaner energy sources like wind and solar.
The power plant sends energy to Northern Indiana communities, including South Bend and Elkhart.
Indiana Michigan spokeswoman Melissa McHenry tells the Evansville Courier and Press the EPA data is misleading. She says more than half of the 5.9 million pounds were from ash generated by burning coal.
McHenry says coal ash and fly ash are kept on site in approved storage sites with ground water monitoring. She also says the utility company plans to install a technology called dry sorbent injection to control sulfur dioxide releases from the plant.