Trump Administration Reverses Mercury Pollution Rules Despite Widespread Compliance
In a controversial move, the Trump administration has dismantled stringent air pollution regulations targeting mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants across the United States. This decision comes despite an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis revealing that the vast majority of coal facilities were already equipped to meet these stricter standards without significant technological upgrades.
EPA Analysis Shows Minimal Need for Upgrades
According to previous EPA assessments, only 27 out of approximately 219 coal plants nationwide would have required any form of enhancement, such as installing advanced filters in smokestacks, to comply with the updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (Mats) enacted under the Biden administration in 2024. These standards, which built upon the original 2012 Mats rules, aimed to curb emissions of neurotoxic substances like mercury and lead, known to cause irreversible brain damage in children and contribute to heart disease and cancer in adults.
Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, justified the rollback by claiming that the stricter limits "would have destroyed reliable American energy." However, environmental advocates argue that this assertion contradicts the agency's own data, which indicates that most plants could adhere to the rules with minimal effort.
Widespread Exemptions Granted Without Scrutiny
Records obtained by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) show that since April 2025, the Trump administration has granted exemptions from mercury pollution rules to 71 coal plants spread across 24 states. Notably, these waivers were issued for longer durations than requested by operators, even in cases where facilities acknowledged possessing the technology to meet the standards. Among the beneficiaries is the James H Miller Jr coal power plant in Adamsville, Alabama, identified by EPA data as one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the country.
Surbhi Sarang, a senior attorney at EDF, expressed frustration, stating, "It's infuriating that this rollback is happening given that only a small number of coal plants would have to make upgrades. This decision is completely ridiculous and not based on any reality. We can easily have a reliable grid and cleaner air at the same time."
Health and Environmental Impacts
The Mats rules have been credited with significantly reducing mercury pollution, which poses severe risks to neurological development in children and can lead to cardiovascular and kidney diseases. The reversal of these safeguards is expected to disproportionately affect communities residing near coal plants, particularly in states like Wyoming, Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, where some of the dirtiest facilities are located.
In addition to the Mats rollback, the Trump administration has taken other steps to bolster the coal industry, including forcing plants to remain operational beyond planned retirement dates and requiring the Department of Defense to purchase coal-sourced electricity. These actions have incurred substantial costs for residents and exacerbated the climate crisis, given coal's status as a major carbon-dense fuel.
Legal Challenges and Broader Context
Environmental groups are mounting legal challenges against the Mats reversal, as well as a separate decision to scrap a key finding that greenhouse gases harm human health—a determination foundational to US climate legislation. Despite Trump's praise of coal as "beautiful" and "clean," and his dismissal of clean energy as a "scam," scientific evidence underscores the fuel's role in causing severe illnesses and environmental degradation.
During a recent state of the union address, Trump asserted that his energy policies have lowered household costs, yet electricity prices have actually risen for Americans over the past year. This discrepancy highlights ongoing debates over the administration's approach to energy and environmental regulation.
