Trump administration lifts mercury rules from coal plants
Mercury pollution from coal plants is linked to serious neurological problems, especially in children and infants.
Mill Creek Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in Louisville, Ky.
On Friday, the Trump administration officially… rolled back A series of Biden-era environmental rules on coal plants, including one intended to crack down on mercury pollution. Environmental advocacy groups and experts have condemned the decision because it is endangering human health – mercury causes severe neurological damage, especially in infants.
The decision effectively reverts rules set by the Obama administration in 2012. Those earlier rules allowed power plants that burned a particularly dirty form of coal called lignite coal to excess mercury Compared to plants that burn other forms of fossil fuels.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement, “The Biden-Harris Administration’s anti-coal rules seek to smack this vital sector of our energy economy out of existence. If implemented, these actions would destroy reliable American energy.”
On supporting science journalism
If you enjoyed this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism Subscribing By purchasing a subscription, you are helping ensure a future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The withdrawn rules also included emissions standards for filterable particles and requiring plants to use emissions monitoring systems. Rule “undue burdenon companies, the EPA said last June.
“Today’s action by the Trump EPA takes us further toward weaker pollution protections and dirtier air. It will allow coal plants to put more mercury and toxic pollution into our air, which will then get into our water, food and ultimately our children’s bodies,” says Surbhi Sarang, a senior attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund with expertise in energy sector regulation. The group plans to challenge the action in court.
The move is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration to boost the long-moribund coal industry in the US. The administration has ordered the State Department to stop running military facilities on coal power, funded renovations to coal-powered plants, and even closed the plants. At the same time, the administration is trying to increase power generation to support new artificial intelligence data centers and other energy-intensive infrastructure.
“Once again, the Trump administration is abandoning science and abandoning the law to give polluters a free hand,” Julie McNamara, associate policy director of the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. “And once again, the Trump administration is doing this at the expense of people’s health.”
Coal-fired power plants are the leading source of mercury emissions in the US, according to EPA. When coal burns, it releases mercury into the atmosphere. Ultimately, the heavy metal settles in soil and water, where it is taken up by plants and animals – some of which we eat as food. there is mercury pollution especially dangerous For children and may cause neurological impairment In infants.
“The (EPA) Administrator’s legacy will always be one that did the bidding of the fossil fuel industry at the expense of our health,” Gina McCarthy, who serves as President Joe Biden’s national climate adviser, said in a statement Thursday. the news broke That cuts were coming.
Mercury pollution has been decreasing over the years. Between 2010 and 2017, mercury emissions declined more than anticipated. 86 percentPartly due to regulatory action that curbed coal burning.
Regulations have also had a direct impact on our food: For example, in 2016, researchers determined that a decline in mercury emissions in North America led to a 19 percent decline in mercury levels in bluefin tuna samples tested between 2004 and 2012.
“By weakening pollution limits and monitoring brain-damaging mercury and other pollutants, the (EPA Administrator) is actively promoting any efforts to make America and our children healthier,” McCarthy said in the same statement.
Editor’s note (2/20/26): This is a breaking news story and may be updated.
It’s time to stand up for science
If you enjoyed this article, I would like to ask for your support. scientific American He has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most important moment in that two-century history.
i have been one scientific American I’ve been a member since I was 12, and it’s helped shape the way I see the world. Science Always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.
if you agree scientific AmericanYou help ensure that our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; We have the resources to report on decisions that put laboratories across America at risk; And that we support both emerging and working scientists at a time when the value of science is too often recognised.
In return, you get the news you need, Captivating podcasts, great infographics, Don’t miss the newsletter, be sure to watch the video, Challenging games, and the best writing and reporting from the world of science. you can even Gift a membership to someone.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in that mission.
