The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to roll back Biden-era regulations aimed at limiting pollutants, including mercury emissions, a neurotoxin harmful to brain development, as per internal agency documents.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is set to unveil these proposed changes shortly, as informed by two individuals familiar with the agency’s intentions. He will also introduce another proposal to lift greenhouse gas restrictions on power plants, according to sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.
These alterations signify a rejection of the Biden administration’s initiatives to combat climate change and address the significant air pollution plaguing communities near power plants and industrial sites. Legal challenges are anticipated concerning these rules later this year.
This move aligns with a broader plan by the Trump administration to extend fossil fuel usage, which has exacerbated global warming. President Trump has recently taken multiple steps to bolster the reliance on polluting coal.
An EPA representative did not confirm specifics about the new regulations or the timeline for their release. However, Zeldin stated that he “opposes the shutdown of clean, affordable, and reliable energy for American families.”
He added, “The EPA should adopt sensible regulations to foster a great American recovery, instead of continuing the path of devastation and impoverishment of the previous administration.”
Zeldin’s proposal regarding mercury and other hazardous substances, as reported by the New York Times, speculates that in 2024, the Biden administration would “unjustly target” coal-fired power plants if contamination levels were restricted.
The documents indicate that new regulations will relax emission limits for harmful substances like lead, nickel, and arsenic by 67%. For certain coal plants, the proposed rule would decrease the mercury limit by 70%, while also dispensing with the requirement for all plants to continually monitor chimney emissions.
These amendments counter the most stringent rules set by the Biden administration, which aimed to reduce dangerous toxins and encourage a shift from coal-fired plants to renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
Burning coal emits mercury, which can contaminate land, oceans, and waterways. According to the EPA, coal-fired power plants are responsible for 44% of all mercury emissions in the United States.
In the atmosphere, mercury emissions transform into a toxic form known as methyl mercury, which accumulates in fish and other food sources. This exposure can lead to significant neurological harm in developing fetuses and children, and is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in adults.
“Children’s brains are growing rapidly, and mercury exposure can severely impact their development,” remarked Matthew Davis, a former EPA official. The initial regulations aimed at reducing mercury emissions from coal plants were established during the Obama administration.
The federal government first enacted strict controls on mercury emissions from power plants in 2011 under President Barack Obama. Following this, regulations were loosened during the initial Trump administration, but were tightened again under Biden. In October, the Supreme Court dismissed requests from 23 Republican states and some coal companies, preventing the reversal of the policy.
In April, the Trump administration granted exemptions for numerous coal-fired power plants from mercury and other air pollutant restrictions. Davis, currently the vice president for federal policy at the Conservation Voters Federation, referred to these as “get-out-of-jail-free cards” for polluters.
“This administration aims to demolish protections for our health and demonstrates indifference toward the well-being of future generations who might suffer from the harmful effects of this toxic substance,” he said.
Anticipated regulations aimed at weakening mercury standards are expected to accompany plans to eliminate all restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants.
As per the latest data available on the EPA website, the electricity sector is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gases, following transportation. Power plants are responsible for approximately 30% of the pollution driving climate change globally.
However, according to a draft rule examined by The New York Times, Zeldin plans to contend that emissions from U.S. power plants have not contributed “significantly” to climate change.
He claims that emissions from U.S. fossil fuel-burning power plants accounted for only 3% of global greenhouse gases in 2022, down from 5.5% in 2005.
Analysts, however, argue that the Trump administration is making misleading comparisons. U.S. power plants were responsible for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions produced in the country in 2022, with approximately 1.5 billion tons in emissions projected for 2023, exceeding total emissions from most countries.
Laura Kate Bender, assistant vice president of the American Lung Association, described this outdated rationale as a “setback” in combating climate change and air pollution.
“Together, these rules could lead to increased pollution that could have been avoided for communities surrounding power plants, exposing them to more harmful emissions that could have been mitigated,” she stated.
Source: www.nytimes.com
