Federal Order Forces Michigan’s Deadly Coal Plants To Keep Polluting

A federal order just told Michigan it can’t shut down its dirtiest coal plants, and nobody seems to care that these things kill people. The Campbell plant in West Olive was supposed to close in 2025. Not anymore. Federal emergency powers kicked in, and now it gets to keep pumping out 9 million tons of carbon every year.

The order didn’t just stop there. It waived emissions restrictions and killed rules that supposedly “discriminate” against coal. Michigan’s climate laws? Paused. State regulators? Basically told to sit down and shut up. The Trump administration issued this order on May 23 to keep the Campbell plant running for 90 days, citing an energy emergency that critics say doesn’t exist.

Federal emergency powers just told Michigan’s climate laws and state regulators to sit down and shut up.

Here’s what we’re talking about in real numbers. Michigan’s top 10 power plants dump 38.9 million metric tons of emissions annually. That’s like having 8.4 million cars running nonstop. The Campbell plant alone accounts for 16% of the state’s energy sector emissions. Monroe plant is even worse at 29%, belching out over 16 million tons of carbon yearly. These same plants generate only 52% of electricity despite producing 85.7% of the state’s power sector carbon emissions.

But wait, it gets better. The Campbell plant kills an estimated 44 people every year. Monroe kills 38. These aren’t made-up numbers – they come from the EPA’s own risk assessment model. Particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, toxic substances floating through the air into people’s lungs. Research shows that coal-derived particles are actually twice as deadly as other particulate matter, making these plants even more dangerous than most people realize.

Environmental groups are throwing fits, obviously. Sierra Club‘s warning about precedents and climate impacts. Local communities near these plants already deal with enough pollution-related health problems. Now they get to keep breathing this stuff indefinitely because someone in Washington decided coal needs protecting.

The companies running these plants haven’t changed their retirement plans yet. They’re waiting to see what happens next. Meanwhile, DTE’s Monroe plant units are scheduled to shut down in 2028 and 2032. Unless another federal order comes along.

State officials can’t do much about it. Federal authority trumps state climate policies, apparently. Even though these plants have to report their sulfur dioxide emissions annually under EPA rules, the same federal government telling them to stay open is considering removing greenhouse gas limits entirely.