Most US coal plants could meet air pollution rules. Trump weakened them anyway | Trump administration
Nearly all coal-fired power plants in the U.S. have the ability to comply with rules limiting emissions of dangerous pollutants such as mercury, which can cause brain damage in children. Despite this, the Donald Trump administration still decided to lift the standards.
Last week, the Trump administration said it was loosening restrictions on air toxins from mercury, lead and other heavy metals released from coal plants. It is known that such pollution exists. neurotoxic It has been associated with irreversible brain damage in children and infants. heart disease And cancer in adults.
Under Joe Biden’s administration, stricter limits on mercury, lead and arsenic pollution were introduced in 2024. Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (Mats) was first enacted in 2012 but has now been rescinded by Trump. Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said reducing pollution would “destroy reliable American energy.”
However, EPA’s own previous analysis It shows there are only 27 coal plants across the US around A total of 219 coal plants will have to adopt any technological upgrades, such as filters in their smokestacks, to meet the stronger standards.
This means a complete reversal of safeguards by the Trump administration to allow a minority of the US’s dirtiest, unsanitary coal plants, located in states such as Wyoming, Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, to continue as they are.
““This rollback is frustrating given that only a small number of coal plants will have to retrofit,” said Surbhi Sarang, senior lawyer at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “This decision is completely absurd and not based on any reality. We can easily have a reliable grid and cleaner air at the same time, we have the technology to do it.
“These Mats rules have been incredibly successful in reducing mercury pollution, which we know poses risks to children’s brains and can cause cardiovascular and kidney disease. “The health impacts of this rollback will be felt in communities living near these coal plants.”
The Trump administration has resorted to extraordinary efforts to reverse the long decline of coal in the United States; It forced coal plants to stay open beyond their planned retirement dates, incurring huge costs for residents and requiring the defense department to purchase coal-generated electricity. carbon intensive Fuel is the key driver of the climate crisis.
This month, the President was crowned the “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” in an unusual ceremony at the White House. “Under our leadership, we are becoming a major energy exporter,” Trump said, surrounded by coal miners wearing helmets. “We are lifting up our hard-working American miners like no one has before.”
Last year, the administration even told coal plant operators to email the president to request immediate exemptions from air pollution rules. None of the subsequent requests were rejected by Trump.
In all, 71 coal plants in 24 states were allowed to waive mercury pollution rules, which the administration has officially repealed. records Obtained from EDF.
Not only did Trump grant each waiver request for up to two years, the waivers were granted for longer periods than many coal plant operators had requested and were handed out even when operators said they had the technology to comply with the limits.
Major coal plants across the US, including the massive James H Miller coal plant in Alabama that closed in recent years, have received exemptions from pollution rules. cited It is the largest single emitter of greenhouse gases in the US, according to EPA data (Alabama Power describes it as a ‘key part’ of its supply to customers).
“The president imposed a blanket exemption without looking at the facilities or adapting the requests in any way,” said EDF’s Sarang. “There was none of that; it was just sending an email to the EPA and getting a free pass to pollute.”
An EPA spokesperson did not address questions about coal plants’ ability to meet Biden’s 2024 Mats regulation, but added that the rule “implies huge costs and red tape on coal- and oil-fired power plants, raising the cost of living for American families, jeopardizing our grid reliability and national security, and limiting America’s energy and manufacturing dominance.”
“Trump EPA’s repeal of the Biden 2024 Mats changes ensures the continuation of the highly effective and robust 2012 Mats requirements that have protected public health and the environment for years.”
In addition to rolling back a number of air and water pollution rules, the Trump administration also recently rescinded a key finding that greenhouse gases harm human health; This is a determination that underpins all climate laws in the United States. This return, and Mats’ return, are being challenged in court by environmental groups.
The president called clean energy a “scam” and praised coal as “beautiful” and “clean.” definite It plays a role in causing serious illness and death and worsening the climate crisis.
On Tuesday, Trump said in his state of the union address to Congress that while his energy policies have lowered costs for households, electricity prices have actually increased for Americans over the past year.
“Nobody can believe it when they see those kinds of numbers, especially the energy,” Trump said. “They can’t believe it when they see the energy decrease to such numbers.”
