The pipeline was only opened for a week when it exploded and forced evacuations. Six high-voltage electric transmission towers and an electrical line were also destroyed.
The study found that Allegheny County would be the third biggest beneficiary in the country, with an estimated 87 fewer deaths per year by 2030. Pennsylvania would have 580 fewer deaths.
The coal-fired power plant is one of Allegheny County's top 10 single sources of air pollution. The company cited higher costs of environmental compliance and "unfavorable economic conditions."
Reid R. Frazier covers energy for The Allegheny Front. His work has taken him as far away as Texas and Louisiana to report on the petrochemical industry and as close to home as Greene County, Pennsylvania to cover the shale gas boom. His award-winning work has also aired on NPR, Marketplace and other outlets. Reid recently received a fellowship from MIT's Environmental Solutions Initiative.
