Proposed Petmin pig iron plant EPA air permit | Health Concerns: | Previous: listed in tons per year | Proposed New: listed in tons per year | Difference |
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) | NOx has direct and indirect effects on human health. It can cause breathing problems, headaches, chronically reduced lung function, eye irritation, loss of appetite and corroded teeth. Indirectly, it can affect humans by damaging the ecosystems they rely on in water and on land—harming animals and plants. | 427.89 | 484.57 | +56.68 tons per year (more than they originally projected) |
PM less than or equal to 10 microns (PM10) | Exposure to high concentrations of PM10 can result in a number of health impacts ranging from coughing and wheezing to asthma attacks and bronchitis to high blood pressure, heart attack, strokes and premature death. | 26.57 | 63.97 | +37.40 tons per year (over double what they originally projected) |
PM less than or equal to 2.5 microns (PM2.5) | Particles in the PM 2.5 size range are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. | 9.5 | 52.40 | +42.90 tons per year (over 5 times what they originally projected) |
Sulfur Dioxide (S02) | VOCs include a variety of chemicals that can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and skin problems. Higher concentrations may cause irritation of the lungs, as well as damage to the liver, kidney, or central nervous system. | 1.76 | 3.63 | +1.87 tons per year (over double what they originally projected) |
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) | VOCs include a variety of chemicals that can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and skin problems. Higher concentrations may cause irritation of the lungs, as well as damage to the liver, kidney, or central nervous system. | 14.28 | 16.80 | +2.52 (over what they originally projected) |
Carbon Monoxide (CO) | Breathing CO can cause headache, dizziness, vomiting, and nausea. If CO levels are high enough, you may become unconscious or die. Exposure to moderate and high levels of CO over long periods of time has also been linked with increased risk of heart disease. | 88.23 | 546.22 | +457.99 (over 6 times more than what they originally projected |
Greenhouse Gas/Carbon Dioxide equivalent | Greenhouse gases have far-ranging environmental and health effects. They cause climate change by trapping heat, and they also contribute to respiratory disease from smog and air pollution. Extreme weather, food supply disruptions, and increased wildfires are other effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gases. | 190,489 | 391,357 | +200,868 (over double what they originally projected) |