New England States With the Most Toxic Release Sites

According to Slacker.com, "17% of people live near toxic release facilities." The site says a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling "reduced the capability of the EPA to regulate carbon emissions of state power plants."

The decision was in the case of West Virginia vs. EPA.

Slacker.com says the ruling has ramifications for the people who live near power plants, as "electricity generation is the second largest contributor to carbon emissions in the U.S., and exposure to pollutants from power plants heightens the risk of respiratory and cardiac health conditions."

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So what does that mean to the people of New England?

Slacker lists the 50 states and the percentage of the population living near toxic release sites. Here is a look at their findings.

Hawaii ranks 50th, with only 6.5 percent living near toxic release sites. The state with the highest percentage of residents living near potentially harmful release sites is Wisconsin, at 37.3 percent.

The New England states are all over the place. Maine ranks 35th, with 17.6 percent of residents living near toxic release sites. Massachusetts is 30th, with 18.7 percent exposed to these sites.

Vermont is 25th at 21.7 percent, Connecticut at 24, also with 21.7 percent.

Rhode Island comes in 17th place, with 23.8 percent of the population living near toxic release sites. And New Hampshire is 10th with 26.0 percent.

Rhode Island and New Hampshire expose more citizens to toxic release sites than the other four New England States. Maine and Massachusetts have the least risk of exposure.

The site says there are 79 toxic release sites in Maine, 362 in Massachusetts, 36 in Vermont, 257 in Connecticut, 76 in Rhode Island, and 117 in New Hampshire.

See how the rest of the states stack up.