Coal plants don't spew soot anymore.
Keep telling yourself that bro. Less than a year ago I was working at Southern Company’s Alabama plant. There were piles upon piles of black dust on the cable trays, the electrical equipment, up in the eaves, EVERYWHERE. Something tells me that wasn’t before they put in electrostatic scrubbers. Children that live near coal plants have something along the lines of 300-400% the typical rate of asthma and breathing-related illnesses. I know that 70% of a coal plant construction cost is emissions control, but it doesn’t look like that is enough.