At the same time, Citizen Action Illinois, the Illinois Public Interest Research Group and the American Lung Association of Greater Metropolitan Chicago released a 40-page report, entitled "Dirty Air, Dirty Power." It details the groups' argument that pollution from coal-fired plants contributes to cases of asthma, lung cancer and heart attacks among populations near power plants.

"This is to get the word out about the health impact of the power plants and the pollution that's being spewed from them," said Ryan Canney of Citizen Action Illinois, referring to the Web site.

Both the interactive site and the report were produced by Clear the Air, a Washington-based environmental group. It is working with the three local groups in a national campaign against pollution from coal-burning emissions.

The Web site, www.cleartheair.org/dirtypower , shows, for example, the number of deaths per 100,000 adults caused by power plant pollution based on location.

According to information on the Web site, which was gathered for Clear the Air by consultants for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois power plants in 2002 emitted more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide and 6,212 pounds of mercury.

The energy industry reacted angrily to the report.

"We aren't sitting on our hands--the electric power industry has cut emissions associated with fine particles by 40 percent under existing law, and we'll reduce this pollution by two-thirds over the next decade," Dan Riedinger, a spokesman for the Washington-based trade group the Edison Electric Institute, said in a statement.

"We can make significant emissions reductions while maintaining reasonable electric rates, but not if we succumb to mindless scare tactics and adopt the blueprint favored by this report," he said.