Washington (AP) – The Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed regulations on Wednesday aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants primarily fueled by coal and natural gas. Manager Lee Zeldin claimed these changes would eliminate billions in industrial expenses and “unleash” American energy.
The EPA also suggested relaxing rules that currently mandate power plants to reduce mercury emissions and other harmful toxins, which are detrimental to brain development in young children and can lead to heart issues in adults.
This rollback corresponds with President Donald Trump’s repeated commitment to “unleash American energy,” claiming it will make it more affordable for Americans to operate their homes and businesses.
If passed, this plan would reverse the initiatives by Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration focused on addressing climate change and improving conditions in industrially polluted areas, particularly those that are low-income and predominantly Black or Hispanic communities.
The proposed power plant regulations are part of roughly 30 environmental rules Zeldin set his sights on when he labeled March as “the most significant deregulation day in American history.”
Zeldin asserted on Wednesday that the new rules aim to dismantle what he described as policies from the Biden and Obama administrations.
“The American public expressed their views loudly last November,” he stated during a speech at the EPA headquarters. “They wanted assurances … that everyone was on board.
Environmental and public health organizations have decried the rollbacks and pledged to contest the rules in court.
Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Consortium of the Medical Society on Climate and Health, referred to these measures as “another attack in a series of assaults” by the Trump administration on “the fundamental principles of health, children’s welfare, the climate, and clean air and water.”
She emphasized, “It’s merciless to consider our nation retreating from common sense in order to protect children from mercury and our planet from climate-induced hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and poor air quality.”
“Neglecting the severe public health repercussions from pollution emanating from power plants is a blatant infringement of the law,” stated Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Council on Natural Resources Defense.
The EPA’s regulations could prevent around 30,000 deaths and save $275 billion annually if put into action, according to previous assessments from the agency and other studies by the Associated Press.
However, there’s no certainty that the rules will be entirely revoked; any changes would have to go through a lengthy federal rulemaking process that requires public input and scientific justification.
This could lead to partial rollbacks of regulations concerning smog, mercury, and lead—particularly smaller airborne particles that can linger in the lungs and cause health issues, as noted by AP analysis. Moreover, it raises greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming.
President Biden’s administration has been focused on combating climate change, a hallmark of his presidency. New regulations require coal-fired power plants to capture or eliminate smoke stack emissions under stringent EPA guidelines introduced last year. EPA chief Michael Regan stated that these regulations would facilitate a stable, long-term energy supply while decreasing pollution and enhancing public health.
The electricity sector is the country’s second-largest contributor to climate change after transportation.
In the proposed regulations, the Trump EPA contends that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuel power plants “do not significantly contribute to dangerous pollution,” therefore failing to meet regulatory thresholds under the Clean Air Act. They assert that emissions from coal and gas facilities comprise “a minor and declining portion of global emissions.”
The Clean Air Act permits the EPA to restrict emissions from power plants and other industrial sources if they significantly contribute to air pollution that jeopardizes public health.
If fossil fuel plants no longer meet the EPA’s standards, the Trump administration could subsequently argue that other pollutants in different industrial sectors should remain unregulated, warns Meghan Greenfield, a former EPA lawyer who now practices privately at Jenner & Block LLP.
The EPA proposal “could carry much wider implications,” she speculates.
Zeldin, a former New York lawmaker, claimed Biden-era rules were intended to “choke our economy to safeguard the environment,” asserting that they aimed to regulate the coal industry out of existence.
Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, lauded the new regulations, stating it would “level the playing field for reliable power sources instead of stacking the deck,” while eliminating “intentionally unachievable clean air standards.”
Conversely, Dr. Howard Frumkin, a former director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health, accused Zeldin and Trump of denying reality.
“The world is round, the sun rises in the east, and coal-fired and gas-fired power plants significantly contribute to climate change, which heightens the risk of heat waves, severe storms, and various health threats,” Frumkin remarked. “These are undisputed facts: dismantling regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants will jeopardize the health and well-being of Americans, impacting the lives of our children and grandchildren.”
A recent study published in the journal Science indicated that regulations from the Biden era could slashed carbon emissions in the U.S. electricity sector by 73% by 2040, compared to 2005 levels, achieving an 86% reduction.
“Carbon emissions from the electricity sector will decline faster with these rules in place than without,” noted Aaron Bergman, a future resources fellow and co-author of the study. He also stated that Biden’s regulations would lead to “significant decreases in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, pollutants harmful to human health.”
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Associated Press contributors Michael Phyllis and Seth Borenstein assisted in this report.
Source: apnews.com