Planet Hazard: Mapping Air Pollutants in the U.S.

Pinning Polluters to the MapThe Planet Hazard website takes data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and makes it easy to read by putting it up on Google maps. Because is maps 86,320 polluters, browsing the data can be a bit overwhelming, but you can drill down on specific states, counties and cities, or see the top 10.

Read on for the Top Ten polluters in the U.S. according to Planet Hazard.According to Planet Hazard, the top ten polluters on the national level are:

1 Regional Sanitation Dist
annual emissions: 470,481,000.85pollutants: 38 sources: 97

2 Burney Forest Productsannual emissions: 452,615,399.90pollutants: 20 sources: 20

3 Georgia Power Company, Bowen Steam-Electric Generating Plantannual emissions: 443,124,323.33pollutants: 75 sources: 386

4 Rio Rancho Facilityannual emissions: 409,126,000.00pollutants: 20 sources: 61

5 Reliant Energy Keystone Power Plantannual emissions: 403,284,644.74pollutants: 77 sources: 198

6 W. H. Sammis Plantannual emissions: 382,822,785.55pollutants: 74 sources: 560

7 Allegheny Energy Supply Co/Hatfields Ferry Power Stationsannual emissions: 378,112,509.21pollutants: 80 sources: 292

8 Bethlehem Steel Corp. - Burns Harborannual emissions: 362,134,004.70pollutants: 67 sources: 1967

9 Reliant Energy/Keystone Power Pltannual emissions: 359,198,970.89pollutants: 26 sources: 131

10 Psi Energy - Gibsonannual emissions: 352,794,755.70pollutants: 88 sources: 594

I think it's great that we're starting to have more and more tools to visualize environmental data like that. The EPA's reports aren't that useful if nobody can understand them, or find what they're looking for. This easy-to-use information allows small groups and individual citizens to get informed and act. Kudos.

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