Wisconsin is ranked among the "Filthy 15." A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council ranked the states according to coal polluting plants and included proposal for new coal facilities. Wisconsin was ranked 13th by the Washington DC environmental group. NRDC Spokesman Michael Oko says the Badger State has three proposal coal plants that would generate more than 500,000 tons of waste.
Proposals in the Badger State have also included plants that generate part biofuel and part coal. Oko says that or any other type of coal production such as "clean coal"not acceptable. He says the environmental and public problems from the fuel are too great. NRDC would like to all states shift away from coal to energy production such as wind, solar and geothermal.
The report ranked Texas number one in coal polluters while neighboring Illinois ranked sixth.