In a move to support the coal industry, nearly 70 coal-fired power plants have been granted a two-year exemption from federal mandates designed to curb emissions of hazardous chemicals like mercury, arsenic, and benzene.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list citing 47 power providers operating a minimum of 66 coal-fired facilities that will benefit from these exemptions, bypassing air pollution restrictions regarding mercury and other toxic substances implemented during the Biden administration under the Clean Air Act. This decision aligns with a recent executive order by former President Donald Trump aimed at revitalizing the coal industry, an energy source admired for its reliability despite its environmental impact and long-standing decline.
Among the plants benefiting from these exemptions is the Colstrip Generating Station in Montana, known for emitting more toxic air pollutants such as lead and arsenic than any other similar U.S. facilities according to the EPA. Other included facilities are the Coal Creek Station in North Dakota, which ranks high in mercury emissions, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, both prominent polluters.
These plants fall under the ownership of major power corporations like Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co. Additionally, four plants operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the largest public utility in the nation, are also under these exemptions.
The EPA expressed in a Tuesday announcement that these presidential exemptions would enhance coal-fired electricity production, ensuring a stable national grid, cost-effective electricity for Americans, and promoting energy security for the nation. Michelle Bloodworth, the president of a lobbying group for coal-fired plants, asserted that Trump comprehends the critical role of the coal sector in maintaining an essential and secure electricity supply, underpinning the economy.
She criticized the regulations set by former President Joe Biden, referring to them as contrary to the Clean Air Act and based on flawed data analysis. Bloodworth noted that the mercury regulation, established the previous year, might have hastened the untimely retirement of numerous coal units and emphasized the necessity of these plants for the grid’s reliability.
However, environmentalists have condemned these exemptions, which necessitate a presidential determination that the technology to meet new regulations isn’t widely ready and that plant operations support national security, as neglectful acts by Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Maya Golden-Krasner, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized these exemptions for compromising critical federal air protections, calling it offensive to claim national security importance in increasing neurotoxic exposure across states and characterizing it as prioritizing polluter profits over the welfare of both citizens and the environment.
Environmental and public health advocates have strongly opposed the plan to grant these exemptions, arguing that this allows hundreds of enterprises to circumvent laws designed to safeguard the environment and public health. Critics describe the special email address introduced by the EPA for exemption requests as a “polluters’ portal.”
The exemptions encompass nine EPA rules, including the regulation of mercury, ethylene oxide, and other hazardous air pollutants, with mercury exposure particularly notorious for causing brain damage, especially in children, and potential birth defects from prenatal exposure.
In a series of executive orders issued the previous week, Trump utilized his emergency powers to permit certain aging coal-fired power plants slated for closure to continue electricity production in response to mounting U.S. power demands from burgeoning data centers, artificial intelligence development, and electric vehicles. He also instructed federal agencies to pinpoint coal resources on federally owned lands, remove restrictions on coal mining, and prioritize coal leasing on these lands.
Throughout his presidency, Trump, a Republican, consistently advocated for the expansion of the coal industry, often referring to coal in his addresses as “beautiful” and promoting its use for power generation and other applications.