Donald Trump’s environmental rollback: Provides regulatory relief to coal-fired plants; reverses Biden era rules to ‘national security’
US President Donald Trump is planning to reverse environmental regulations introduced during the Biden administration, announcing two years of regulatory relief for coal-fired power plants, chemical manufacturers and other industrial polluters.The decision, framed as a national security measure, was revealed through a series of presidential proclamations issued late on Thursday.The exemptions apply to a broad range of facilities, including taconite iron ore processors critical to steel production, and chemical manufacturers involved in making semiconductors and sterilising medical devices. These industries will now be permitted to comply with older Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards that were in effect prior to the Biden-era rules, the White House confirmed.Trump criticised the regulations imposed under President Joe Biden as prohibitively expensive and, in some cases, impossible to meet. A White House fact sheet claimed the exemptions would allow “critical industries can continue to operate uninterrupted to support national security without incurring substantial costs.”During his previous term, Trump’s EPA had already granted waivers to numerous coal-fired plants, citing similar reasons. The agency also gave polluting industries a chance to apply for relief from rules aimed at limiting emissions of hazardous chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. To streamline the process, the EPA introduced a dedicated email system that companies could use to seek presidential exemptions under the Clean Air Act.Environmental groups have strongly condemned the move, branding the new EPA contact point a “polluters’ portal” that could enable widespread avoidance of environmental laws. Advocates warned of the dangers associated with exposure to toxic substances, especially mercury, which can lead to brain damage in children and birth defects in unborn babies.Industry associations representing hundreds of chemical and petrochemical firms quickly mobilised to request blanket exemptions from federal pollution controls. Under the Clean Air Act, the president has authority to grant such temporary exemptions if required technologies are not broadly available and the exemptions serve national security interests.Back in April, the EPA granted 70 coal-fired plants a two-year reprieve from federal mandates targeting toxic emissions. According to a list published on the agency’s website, 47 power providers operating at least 66 coal plants have already received exemptions from Biden-era regulations.In a broader push, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in March an ambitious plan to repeal dozens of major environmental regulations covering air, water and climate protections. Zeldin hailed the move as the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history.”However, news agency AP warned of the potential consequences. as the targeted regulations could have prevented an estimated 30,000 deaths and saved $275 billion annually.“Today’s actions provide much needed regulatory relief for the power sector and help … unleash American energy,” Zeldin said.
