While it’s no shock to those of us who live in the region, the facts are now out that the coal-hungry states of the grand old Southeast are among the worst for air pollution caused by coal-fired power plants.
Just yesterday, the Natural Resources Defense Council released a special report called the “Toxic 20,” a comprehensive look at the twenty most polluted states in the nation due to coal pollution.
Unsurprisingly, ALL TEN of the Central and Southern Appalachian states (as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission) made the list, including Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Alabama.
Other Southern states include Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, Maryland and even good old Florida (although according to BBQ lore they may not actually be a Southern state).
Without further adieu, we present:
The Toxic 20
- Kentucky
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Indiana
- West Virginia
- Florida
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Georgia
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Mississippi
- Wisconsin
- Maryland
- Delaware
Read the NRDC Switchboard blog post
Read the full report
Jamie GoodmanJamie is an Appalachian local with a deep and unshakeable love of the mountains her family has called home since the mid-1700s. With a background in journalism and communications, she has been with Appalachian Voices since 2008 and currently serves as our Director of Digital Innovation and Technology.
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