Ameren’s Labadie coal plant ranks as the highest emitter of SO2 in the United States.

The Labadie Energy Center, owned by St. Louis-based electric utility Ameren, has come under scrutiny for emitting high levels of sulfur dioxide, a major air pollutant. A recent analysis found that Labadie emitted more sulfur dioxide than any other plant in the country. This has raised concerns among experts about the health impacts of such high levels of pollution.

Critics argue that Ameren should transition to cleaner energy sources and install pollution controls like scrubbers on its plants to reduce emissions. The lack of scrubbers at Labadie and other Ameren plants has been a point of contention for environmentalists and regulators.

Studies have linked coal plant pollution to thousands of deaths each year, with Labadie being associated with about 4,000 excess deaths. Despite this, Ameren has been resistant to installing scrubbers, citing cost concerns.

The issue has gained more attention in recent years, with legal battles between Ameren and regulators over emissions at its Rush Island Energy Center. While Ameren has proposed closing Rush Island, critics argue that more needs to be done to address emissions from Labadie and other coal plants in Missouri.

Overall, the debate over pollution controls at Ameren’s coal plants highlights the broader challenges of balancing economic interests with environmental concerns in the energy sector.