Map: The 10 biggest polluters in Bexar County, according to EPA

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File) (Gregory Bull, Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

As the Environmental Protection Agency considers downgrading the San Antonio area’s ozone pollution designation, EPA data shows where greenhouse gas emissions come from in Bexar County.

The data covers 2020, the most recently available reporting year.

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1. JK Spruce coal plant

CPS Energy’s sole coal power plant, JK Spruce, led the county in greenhouse gas emissions. Located at the Calaveras Power Station on the Southeast Side, it emitted more than 5.7 million metric tons in 2020. Facing pressure from city officials and climate advocates, CPS Energy is considering closing down an older unit at the coal plant as it finds a way to transition to cleaner energy.

2. VH Braunig plant

In Elmendorf, CPS Energy’s gas-powered VH Braunig plant came in second. It reported 1,734,441 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Alamo San Antonio Cement Plant

A cement plant owned by Alamo Cement Company came in third. Located on the Northeast Side, it emitted 785,478 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

4. OW Sommers plant

Another CPS Energy plant at the Calaveras Power Station also made the list, coming in fourth. The OW Sommers, a gas-powered plant emitted 581,213 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

5. Capitol Cement Plant

The Capitol Cement Plant, owned by Zachry Construction and Materials on the city’s Northeast Side, placed fifth. In 2020, it emitted 508,072 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

6. Covel Gardens Recycling and Disposal Facility

The Covel Gardens Recycling and Disposal facility, owned by Waste Management, came in sixth. Located in the Southwest Side, emitting 302,873 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

7. Tessman Road Landfill

The Tessman Road Landfill, owned by Republic Services, came in seventh. Located in the East Side, it emitted 185,014 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

8. Nelson Gardens Landfill

The Nelson Gardens Landfill, owned by the City of San Antonio, came in seventh. Located in the Southwest Side, emitted 109,930 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

9. San Antonio Refinery, LLC

San Antonio Refinery, LLC, owned by Starlight Relativity came in ninth. Located on the South Side, it emitted 74,196 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

10. Leon Creek

The Leon Creek power plant, owned by CPS Energy, came in at the bottom of the Top 10 list, emitting 68,481 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

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