The W.A. Parish coal plant in Fort Bend County is the main source of cloud-forming particles in the Houston area and most-commonly associated with respiratory illness, according to a recent study by scientists at UC-San Diego and others.
The generating station, owned by NRG Energy is the second largest coal energy plant in the country. The plant began running on natural gas in the 1950s, and in the 1970s started a coal unit. For years, community members and environmental advocates have called for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to shut down the plant, citing pollution concerns.
NRG Energy said in a statement that it is aware of the study and reviewing its findings…