An environmental group's national report said pollution from Indiana's coal-fired power plants will cause an estimated 550 premature deaths in the state this year.
The report from the Clean Air Task Force ranked Indiana fifth in the U.S. in per capita mortality risk from pollutants that create lung-choking soot. The elderly and people with respiratory disease are most susceptible to such pollution.
Thursday's report said power plant pollution will cause an estimated 13,200 premature U.S. deaths this year, with 550 of those in Indiana.
Coal-fired power plants provide more than 95 percent of Indiana's electricity.
Jodi Perras of Improving Kids' Environment said there's no excuse that plant emissions still shorten so many lives when available technology could virtually eliminate that pollution.
