On Tuesday, President Trump exempted dozens of coal plants from a Biden administration regulation that set stricter standards for mercury, lead, nickel, and arsenic emissions.
Trump announced the exemption as part of a series of measures to support the coal industry.
As part of our historic deregulatory efforts, I am granting immediate relief to 47 companies that operate 66 coal plants across the country,” he said.
He claimed that Biden’s restrictions made it “impossible to do anything having to do, frankly, with energy.”
Exposure to the aforementioned pollutants increases the risk of developmental delays in children, as well as heart attacks and cancer.
The move comes after the Environmental Protection Agency temporarily opened an email portal where polluters could request presidential exemptions from various regulations that it intends to repeal.
In addition, the Trump administration promised to use the Justice Department to pursue states whose laws or policies burden coal and prevent enforcement.
An executive order directs the attorney general to prioritize laws addressing climate change, environmental, social, and governance initiatives, environmental justice, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon taxes or penalties.
“I am instructing the Department of Justice to identify and fight every single unconstitutional state or local regulation that is putting our coal miners out of business,” Mr. Trump said.
Other actions taken by the Trump administration to support coal include efforts to exempt coal mining projects from environmental reviews, lifting restrictions on coal mining on federal lands, and requiring the Energy Department to use funds to support coal technology development.
