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New Environmental Report Finds PA Industries Among Highest In Pollutants

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new environmental report finds that Pennsylvania industries are cranking out some pretty nasty pollution.

It's a problem dating to the industrial revolution, bad stuff belching from smokestacks in the very places that allow nearby residents to put food on the table. And a new report from EarthJustice finds that Pennsylvania factories are top-ten polluters in terms of mercury, lead and chromium; top 15 in hydrochloric acid and particulates.

Michael Ewall, founder of Action PA, urges more -- and more consistent – regulation. It's surely an uphill fight in this economy, but he says, if you want jobs, go green:

"It's not as profitable to create more jobs, and that's why they talk about jobs but what they really mean is more corporate profits," Ewall says.

The report puts the Sunoco Philadelphia refinery in several pollution categories, but that may not be a big issue during efforts to find a new owner.

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