National Coal Utilization Assessment. a Preliminary Assessment of the Health and Environmental Effects of Coal Utilization in the Midwest. Volume I. Energy Scenarios, Technology Characterizations, Air and Water Resource Impacts, and Health Effects

Download or read book National Coal Utilization Assessment. a Preliminary Assessment of the Health and Environmental Effects of Coal Utilization in the Midwest. Volume I. Energy Scenarios, Technology Characterizations, Air and Water Resource Impacts, and Health Effects written by and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents an initial evaluation of the major health and environmental issues associated with increased coal use in the six midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Using an integrated assessment approach, the evaluation proceeds from a base-line scenario of energy demand and facility siting for 1975-2020. Emphasis is placed on impacts from coal extraction, land reclamation, coal combustion for electrical generation, and coal gasification. The range of potential impacts and constraints is illustrated by a second scenario that represents an expected upper limit for coal utilization in Illinois. The following are among the more significant issues identified and evaluated in this study: If environmental and related issues can be resolved, coal will continue to be a major source of energy for the Midwest; existing sulfur emission constraints will increase use of western coal; the resource requirements and environmental impacts of coal utilization will require major significant environmental and economic tradeoffs in site selection; short-term (24-hr) ambient standards for sulfur dioxide will limit the sizes of coal facilities or require advanced control technologies; an impact on public health may result from long-range transport of airborne sulfur emissions from coal facilities in the Midwest; inadequately controlled effluents from coal gasification may cause violations of water-quality standards; the major ecological effects of coal extraction are from pre-mining and post-reclamation land use; and sulfur dioxide is the major potential contributor to effects on vegetation of atmospheric emissions from coal facilities.