Atlanta has long grappled with air pollution, and now a significant natural gas expansion at Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen—located 40 miles northwest of the city—threatens to introduce hundreds of tons of new pollutants. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) recently approved permits for four new gas turbines at the coal-fired plant, following a decision by the Georgia Public Service Commission to bolster Georgia Power’s electric generation by nearly 10 gigawatts by 2031, primarily via natural gas.
The expansion is being contested by the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Sierra Club. The turbines are allowed to emit up to 650.9 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) annually, contributing to deteriorating air quality in metro Atlanta, where VOCs are linked to health issues such as asthma and cancer.
The turbines are also permitted to release 828.1 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) annually, exacerbating ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution, which are associated with respiratory diseases. On hot days, these emissions contribute further to smog formation.
The “State of the Air” report by the American Lung Association labels Atlanta’s ozone pollution as worsening, giving the area an “F” grade for ground-level ozone pollution. It ranks 48th worst out of 228 metro areas in the U.S.
Danna Thompson, advocacy director for the Lung Association in Georgia, urged action to improve air quality, highlighting the unhealthy levels of ozone affecting Atlanta residents. Neither Georgia Power nor the EPD commented on the issue.
After regaining “attainment” status in 2022 for meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s ozone standards, recent data shows Atlanta’s ozone levels now exceed federal limits again. This “nonattainment” status requires stricter permitting rules for new pollution sources, which SELC and the Sierra Club argue should apply to Plant Bowen’s expansion.
The EPD acknowledged elevated ozone data but stated it has 24 months to enforce pollution-reducing requirements. The agency attributed recent ozone spikes to smoke from Canadian wildfires rather than local emissions.
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to vacate the permit, which would mandate Georgia Power to adhere to stricter emissions limits before proceeding. This is the first major legal challenge to Georgia Power’s broader expansion plan, which includes the Plant Bowen project.
Adrien Webber, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter director, criticized the expansion, asserting that building more fossil fuel plants defies logic and threatens air quality for millions of Georgians.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org