Curious to know how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released annually by major emitters in the Toledo area -- or anywhere else in the United States, for that matter? For the first time, that information is available on a federal Web page.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency page, found at ghgdata.epa.gov/ghgp/main.do, allows viewers to check 2010 emissions from power plants, refineries, and other pollution sources by location, type of facility, industrial sector, and type of greenhouse gas emitted.
Greenhouse gases are so named because they are believed to contribute to an overall heating of the Earth's atmosphere. Along with carbon dioxide, the most plentiful greenhouse gas, the EPA in 2009 began requiring reports on emissions of methane, nitrous oxide, and several fluorocarbons from facilities that release 25,000 metric tons or more annually of such gases.
National health and air-quality organizations say health risks come with strong emissions of such gases. Firms that produce fuels or chemicals that release the gases during combustion are required to report their production. The most common such fuel is gasoline, and it is a main reason why petroleum refiners are the second-highest industrial sector for emitting greenhouse gases.
The No. 1 sector is electricity generation, primarily from coal-fired power plants. Ninety-six of the top 100 sources were power plants in 2010.
The Toledo area is consistent with those rankings. Its highest greenhouse-gas emitter, according to the 2010 data, is the Detroit Edison power plant in Monroe, which produced 17,850,341 metric tons of "carbon dioxide equivalent" in 2010, according to the EPA site. That was the most in Michigan and the sixth-highest in the United States.
"Carbon dioxide equivalent" is an indexed scale created by the EPA to include the emissions of the other greenhouse gases. While far less plentiful than carbon dioxide, those gases' "greenhouse" impacts are more intense for the same amount.
"Today we have a transparent, powerful data resource available to the public," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "The GHG Reporting Program data provides a critical tool for businesses and other innovators to find cost-and-fuel saving efficiencies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster technologies to protect public health and the environment."
Ohio's top greenhouse-gas emitter was the Gen. J.M. Gavin power plant in Cheshire, whose owner, American Electric Power, bought out most of that Gallia County village 10 years ago for $20 million to end litigation over its pollution there.
Toledo's two refineries -- BP-Husky and Toledo Refining Co. (the former Sunoco Refinery) -- and the Lima Refinery, and PS Nitrogen Ohio near Lima all rated among the state's top 25.
Other area facilities generating more than 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases in the region in 2010 included limestone processing plants in Woodville, Maple Grove, Millersville, and Huron, Ohio; Linde Gas, in Oregon; the Lafarge cement plant near Paulding, Ohio, and the Vienna Junction Landfill just north of Toledo in Monroe County's Erie Township.
Visitors to the EPA site also can track the emissions from smaller producers too, such as the two Johns-Manville plants near Waterville, the University of Toledo's two campuses, the Libbey and Pilkington glass plants, Toledo's Hoffman Road landfill, and the Chrysler complex.
Contact David Patch at: dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.