Health impacts could cause millions in healthcare costs annually
A newly released report by the Dominici Lab at Harvard University’s School of Public Health – commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center – reveals the potential health impacts and related costs from air pollution from Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy’s proposed methane gas plant at Canadys.
“It’s critical for decision makers to understand that the proposed Canadys gas plant would negatively impact air quality and increase healthcare costs for South Carolina residents,” said Robby Maynor, SELC Climate Campaign Associate. “This report projects which areas would experience the most pollution, and how far the pollution would travel. I hope it helps people better understand what’s at stake for South Carolinians with this decision.”
Emissions modeling revealed that more than two million people would be impacted by additional particulate matter exposure from the gas plant, with the plant emitting annually at least 164.3 tons of particulate matter (also called PM2.5) – a harmful form of air pollution unsafe at any level of exposure.[1] Colleton and surrounding counties would face the brunt of the air pollution, but it would travel as far as Georgia.
“Even with conservative estimates, the projected health impacts from this methane gas plant are concerning,” said Kate Mixson, SELC Senior Attorney. “These findings reinforce our call for a more transparent public process that considers the voices and health of nearby communities.”
A disproportionate number of Black community members and less wealthy residents would face the most severe air pollution. This pollution could result in up to $28M in healthcare related costs annually due to increased disease burden on impacted communities, increasing to $36M annually by 2040 with inflation.
About PM2.5: Particulate Matter, also called PM2.5, is a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion. It can increase the risk of hospitalizations due to heart attack, pneumonia, cardiovascular issues, or, in some cases, stroke or cancer at even low levels of exposure. Air pollution is the single largest environmental risk to human health, responsible for millions of premature deaths each year.[2]
[1] This refers to people living in census tracts projected to experience at least an additional 0.001 μg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution from the plant.
[2] State of Global Air Report 2024, https://www.stateofglobalair.org/resources/report/state-global-air-report-2024.
