If you don’t count CO2 as a pollutant (which it is not, IMHO), then it is completely true. We are much better at controlling particulates than Western Europe, let alone most of Asia, esp. China.
The CO2 emission of the U.S. has dropped almost twice as fast as Europe over the last ten years. The emission has dropped to a level below the 1990 level specified in Kyoto. The switch to NG is credited for this result.
A new turbine technology which implements oxy-fuel combustion, within a super-pressurized CO2 working fluid, is under test this summer. If the goals are met, Exelon will commence commercial electrical generation based on the zero atmospheric discharge plants by 2021.
This will replace Natural Gas Combined Cycle generation; and, perform CO2 capture at high pressure, at the comparable 60% efficiency level. The LCOE is calculated as about $41 MW, with a capitol cost of about $1 million per MW electrical capacity, for a nameplate 300 MWe turbine facility utilized at an average of 85%.