Companies Pumping the Most Greenhouse Gas Into the Atmosphere

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15. Cleveland-Cliffs
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 32,585,506 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 21% – #3 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 59% – #27 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 24% – #63 highest
> Industrial sectors: Metals, minerals, other, waste

Almost 83% of the CO2 equivalent emissions from the Cleveland-based miner of iron ore are from five plants in Indiana and Ohio. In 2006, its AK Steel Corp. unit paid $13.4 million to settle Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations related to the cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediments from two streams that are tributaries to the Great Miami River.

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14. Dominion Energy
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 35,646,444 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 15% – #39 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 46% – #47 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 13% – #94 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, petroleum and natural gas systems, other

In 2003, Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Energy’s Virginia Electric Power Co., agreed to spend about $1.2 billion to cut emissions, pay a $5.3 million civil penalty, and spend $13.9 million on supplementary environmental projects. Dominion reported nearly $14 billion in revenue and $3.3 billion in net income in 2021.

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13. Entergy
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 35,760,849 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 18% – #16 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 53% – #36 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 22% – #74 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, other, petroleum and natural gas systems

About 47% of the CO2 equivalent emissions from the New Orleans power company originate from three plants in Arkansas and Louisiana.

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12. Marathon Petroleum
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 36,405,742 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 15% – #39 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 65% – #18 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 21% – #78 highest
> Industrial sectors: Refineries, petroleum and natural gas systems, power plants, chemicals, other

Since 2000, Findlay, Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum has been fined almost $1.4 billion for environment-related violations. The largest one was for $425.4 million in 2016 against Marathon’s Tesoro Corp. and Par Hawaii Refining. Under the settlement, the two companies agreed to spend about $403 million to install and operate pollution control equipment. Tesoro also said it would spend about $12 million to fund environmental projects in areas impacted by pollution. It also agreed to pay a $10.45 million civil penalty. The company reported $5.6 billion in revenue in 2021.

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11. NRG Energy
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 36,806,514 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 9% – #95 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 59% – #27 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 35% – #42 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, other

Two Texas plants account for almost 70% of the CO2 emissions output of NRG Energy. The Houston-based company has been fined more than $279 million for environmental violations. Most of that fine amount was from a penalty in 2012. Louisiana Generating, an electric generating company owned by NRG, agreed to a settlement at its Big Cajun II coal-fired power plant in New Roads, La. The agreement required Louisiana Generating to spend about $250 million to cut air pollution and also required it to pay a civil fine of $3.5 million and spend $10.5 million on local environmental mitigation projects. The company reported revenue of nearly $27 billion in 2021.