The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to scrap two major federal regulations that limit air pollution and planet-warming emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, the agency’s head announced Wednesday.
Administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA will propose to repeal a rule regulating planet-warming carbon emissions from existing and new power plants, as well as a separate rule regulating mercury and other air toxins produced by burning coal to generate electricity.
The proposed repeals are two of the most consequential moves from Trump’s EPA as the administration continues dismantling climate policies.
“Rest assured, President Trump is the biggest supporter of clean, beautiful coal,” Zeldin said Wednesday. “We will use coal for power generation, to mine for critical minerals and to export to our allies.”
The agency didn’t announce any intent to rewrite regulations to replace the Biden rules on carbon emissions, which could effectively leave carbon emissions from US power plants unregulated if the proposed repeal is finalized. Zeldin announced the agency will revise the rule on mercury air pollution, proposing to get rid of the Biden-era rule finalized last year.
Power plants are the second-biggest emitters of planet-warming pollution in the United States, making up around a quarter of the country’s climate pollution. US power plants alone contribute 3% of total global climate pollution.
The repeals are proposals and will go through a public comment period before being finalized.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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