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In a surprising move, the Trump administration has revived a lesser-known section of the Clean Air Act, presenting a pathway for coal and oil-burning power plants to apply for exemptions from stringent emissions regulations established by the Biden administration. These rules were designed to significantly reduce the release of harmful chemicals, including mercury, which poses severe health risks to vulnerable populations such as infants and the elderly.
The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) revealed this initiative, encouraging industrial facilities to send an email requesting permission from President Trump to circumvent new clean-air standards. The agency even supplied a template for how companies can structure their requests, claiming that the president would assess these requests based on their merits.
This new directive raises concerns about lax enforcement of air quality regulations. Critics, including Joseph Goffman, a prominent environmental law expert who formerly worked with the E.P.A. under President Biden, expressed worry that this initiative could enable a "rubber stamp process" allowing polluters to sidestep established environmental safeguards.
As the implications of this decision unfold, environmental advocates are poised to challenge the administration’s approach, advocating for stricter enforcement of clean-air regulations to protect public health and the environment.
In a surprising move, the Trump administration has revived a lesser-known section of the Clean Air Act, presenting a pathway for coal and oil-burning power plants to apply for exemptions from stringent emissions regulations established by the Biden administration. These rules were designed to significantly reduce the release of harmful chemicals, including mercury, which poses severe health risks to vulnerable populations such as infants and the elderly.
The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) revealed this initiative, encouraging industrial facilities to send an email requesting permission from President Trump to circumvent new clean-air standards. The agency even supplied a template for how companies can structure their requests, claiming that the president would assess these requests based on their merits.
This new directive raises concerns about lax enforcement of air quality regulations. Critics, including Joseph Goffman, a prominent environmental law expert who formerly worked with the E.P.A. under President Biden, expressed worry that this initiative could enable a "rubber stamp process" allowing polluters to sidestep established environmental safeguards.
As the implications of this decision unfold, environmental advocates are poised to challenge the administration’s approach, advocating for stricter enforcement of clean-air regulations to protect public health and the environment.
