FAMILIES AT RISK

Toxic Pollution Threatens Texans at their Homes, Schools

and Playgrounds
NRGs WA Parish coal-fired power plant in Fort Bend County has
threatened public health for decades. Based on recent modeling and NRGs
own emissions data, this plant emits more sulfur dioxide pollution than is
safe for people to breathe. This pollution puts kids at risk where they play
outside, including public parks, recreation areas and at multiple schools in
the area. This map shows how far the plants toxic sulfur dioxide pollution
travels and who is at risk.
SULFUR DIOXIDE AIR POLLUTION

largest sources of dangerous sulfur dioxide pollution in

Exposure to sulfur dioxide pollution for even five minutes

the nation. In fact, Parish is one of the largest coal plants

can make it hard to breathe, and high levels of sulfur

in all of Texas with four large coal-burning boilers, and it

dioxide can send someone to the emergency room. This

still lacks modern pollution safeguards commonly known

is especially dangerous for the more than 50,000 adults

as scrubbers for the whole plant. Scrubbers help cut a

and children in Fort Bend County currently living with

plants dangerous air pollutants including sulfur dioxide

asthma. Coal burning plants like NRGs Parish are the

but they dont eliminate pollution entirely.

Toxic SO 2 Plume of the WA Parish Generating Station

All shaded areas exceed
EPAs one-hour limits on
sulfur dioxide pollution
of 196 micrograms per
cubic meter.

Dickinson Elementary School

Campbell Elementary School
Velsquez Elementary School
Ryon Middle School
Thomas Elementary School

196
Reading Junior High School

250

George Ranch High School

300
350
Scanlan Oaks Elementary School

WA Parish Generating Station

Brazos Bend State Park

NRGS WA PARISH POSES A THREAT TO PUBLIC

HEALTH

CREATING SULFUR DIOXIDE PLUME MAPS

Make no mistake: NRGs pollution from Parish exceeds

established techniques and models frequently employed

safe levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency

by industry, non-profit organizations, and state

and presents a serious public health problem for residents

environmental agencies in accordance with the EPAs

living and spending time near the power plant

protocols for modeling the effects of sulfur dioxide

particularly children, the elderly and people with asthma

pollution. The modeler used publicly available information

who are most affected by high levels of sulfur dioxide

including smokestack emissions data, smokestack

pollution.

engineering details, plant characteristics, topographical

Using smokestack pollution data straight from NRG and

information and meteorological data to estimate the air

other publicly available information, our experts created

quality effects of NRGs WA Parish coal plant.

an air pollution plume map to better illustrate which areas

WHAT CAN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS DO?

are at highest risk. Darker colors on the map represent

areas with higher modeled hourly concentrations of sulfur
dioxide pollution. Our air quality modeling using actual
emissions reported by NRG predicts a maximum sulfur
dioxide concentration near the Parish plant of more than

The map was made by an expert air modeler using

Are you concerned about the air quality in Fort Bend

County and the Greater Houston area? Do you have
children or know someone who is suffering from asthma?
If so, youre not alone.

twice the standard established by EPA to protect human

Stand with other families and neighbors in Fort Bend

health. The Parish plants coal burning poses significant

County and with customers of NRG, Reliant, and Green

health risks to residents. And, by way of comparison,

Mountain Energy and join the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal

NRG Parishs sulfur dioxide pollution is about 8 times the

Campaign! Together well call on NRG to take responsibility

amount of sulfur dioxide produced by all the refineries

for its pollution and clean up or phase out the coal plant at

combined in the Houston area.

WA Parish and instead invest in more local, clean energy

With more than 7,000 children attending school near

this plant, where sulfur dioxide in the air is expected to
be present in unsafe concentrations, these levels are
particularly concerning. Even without considering existing
pollution levels, the Parish plant greatly exceeds public
health standards. And, as a result of NRGs pollution,
the plant violates the EPAs sulfur dioxide standard. The
unsafe sulfur pollution covers areas that include schools,
churches, residential neighborhoods, parks and other
recreation areas meaning that members of these
communities who work, play, worship and spend time
outside in the area are exposed to the risks.

Beyond Coal Texas

1202 San Antonio Street
Austin, TX 78701

content.sierraclub.org/coal/texas
facebook.com/TexasSierraClub
@BeyondCoalTexas

solutions that improve our communities.