Oh, it isn't just carbon emissions to this day. I know I've heard about continued emissions related acid rain issues, particularly complaints from people in the N.E. and Canada who get dumped on by the coal-plant emissions from further west. It isn't that they "fixed" those issues, so much as made them not nearly as eggregious. Since they are still talking about "further reducing them", I'm guessing the issue isn't anywhere near resolved. Plus, coal plants release mercury and radioactive materials, along with all sorts of metals, in their ash. The article I linked to below says that collection systems are supposed to be able to collect 99.5% of the ash,
when functioning properly. The second link (EPA) notes that coal-fired plants are the largest source of Mercury emissions.
http://www.ornl.gov/info/...ev26-34/text/colmain.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/camr/basic.htmOne HUGE coal plant complaint that has to do with particulates emitted by the coal plant that is a short distance from the Grand Canyon, which I think is on a Native American reservation, but I may be mixing up sites. You basically have to visit the Grand Canyon immediately after strong winds to escape the brown line that is now hovering over the horizon. Big complaint in photography circles, because it has become extremely difficult to get a clear sky.
