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

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6812178· OSTI ID:6812178

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.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6812178
• Report Number(s): ANL/AA-6(Vol.1)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
294001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Coal
530100 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Social & Economic Studies-- (-1989)
AIR POLLUTION
BIOMASS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
COAL MINING
COAL RESERVES
DAMAGE
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORECASTING
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GREAT LAKES REGION
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LAND RECLAMATION
MANAGEMENT
MICHIGAN
MINING
MINNESOTA
NORTH AMERICA
OHIO
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SITE SELECTION
STANDARDS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE MINING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER POLLUTION
WATER RESOURCES
WISCONSIN
YIELDS