Trump administration rolls back mercury pollution standards for coal plants despite health warnings

The Trump administration announced Friday its decision to weaken federal regulations that limit mercury emissions and other hazardous air pollutants from coal-fired power plants, sparking immediate concern from environmental and public health advocates. The rollback was unveiled at an event in Kentucky, a state heavily dependent on coal energy production.

The Environmental Protection Agency under Trump argues that relaxing these pollution standards will reduce operational costs for utilities operating aging coal facilities, particularly as electricity demand surges due to the rapid expansion of energy-intensive artificial intelligence data centers across the country. The administration frames the move as necessary to strengthen “baseload energy” capacity and support grid reliability during peak demand periods.

However, environmental groups and public health organizations are sounding alarms about the potential consequences of weakening mercury and air toxics standards. They warn that rolling back these protections will lead to increased health-related costs and disproportionately harm the nation’s most vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and communities living near coal plants. Mercury exposure is particularly dangerous for developing nervous systems and has been linked to cognitive impairments and other serious health issues.

The decision represents a significant shift in environmental policy, prioritizing short-term economic considerations for the coal industry over long-term public health protections that were previously established to safeguard American communities from toxic air pollution.