There's also a steam generating plant at Martins Creek. An additional power plant will only make this situation worse, and will jeopardize what natural beauty we now have. These power plants emit Sulfur Dioxide, and Nitrogen Oxides into the air during the burning of gas and coal to produce power. An additional power plant will also draw down water levels in an already delicate Delaware River, causing an increased drought hazard in communities to the south who depend on the Delaware for water. Exposure to Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide emissions results in a range of human pulmonary and respiratory health effects, including respiratory ailments, aggravated asthma, coughing, difficult or painful breathing, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, susceptibility to bacterial infections, and the exacerbation of emphysema and other respiratory diseases.
Environmental effects are wide.
Acid rain is one of the biggest results. Acid rain can also decimate certain native trees and plants, and accelerate the decay of our architectural heritage. Nitrogen Oxide emissions from power plants also contribute to nitrogen loading in lakes and estuaries, causing algae blooms. When the algae die they settle to the bottom, where the decay process consumes oxygen and blocks light, making the bloom area a nonviable environment for fish, shellfish, and aquatic vegetation. This record will only get worse if another power plant is built here by a company which already has a dismal environmental record.