A national nonprofit called the Environmental Integrity Project has again listed a Wyoming power plant among the most toxic in the U.S.
The group says the Laramie River Station, near Wheatland, is number two in the nation for producing carcinogenic metals, such as as arsenic, chromium and lead. They warn that those pollutants can end up in nearby rivers and streams and can make fish unsafe to eat. The Environmental Integrity Project already listed the facility as a top polluter last year.
But Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which operates the plant, says the report is misleading. They say the plant captures the ash from almost all of the metals it produces and transports it to a disposal site, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.