Coal Plants And Chemical Facilities Freed From Environmental Safeguards Under Trump

Dozens of coal plants across America got a free pass to pollute. Under the Trump administration, more than 37% of U.S. coal-fired capacity was exempted from the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule for two years. That’s 71.3 gigawatts of power generation suddenly free to spew whatever they wanted into the air. Big utility companies like Southern Co., NRG, and the Tennessee Valley Authority hit the jackpot with these exemptions.

The goal? Let these companies delay expensive pollution control upgrades. Who needs clean air when there’s money to be saved, right? These rollbacks meant thousands of pounds of hazardous pollutants that would have been caught just… weren’t. Mercury, particulate matter—all released into the environment while regulators looked the other way.

Trump’s executive orders made it clear: domestic coal production was a priority for “economic prosperity” and “national security.” Because nothing says security like poisoning your own citizens! The administration worked hard to remove those pesky environmental protections that were supposedly holding coal back.

Funny thing is, coal was already dying from competition with natural gas and renewables. No amount of regulatory CPR was going to save it. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club strongly criticized these exemptions, pointing out that pollution control technology was readily available for these plants.

The original MATS rule would have reduced mercury emissions by 1,000 pounds and particulate matter by 770 tons by 2028. Mercury isn’t just bad—it’s devastating for human nervous, digestive, and immune systems. Even at low levels. Communities near these plants faced increased health risks while regulators twiddled their thumbs. The EPA granted coal plants until 2027 to comply with air quality monitoring standards, further extending the timeline for implementing crucial health protections.

The Department of Energy went so far as to order continued operation of retiring fossil fuel plants. Unprecedented! And expensive. Keeping these dinosaurs running cost over $3.1 billion extra per year—money that came straight from ratepayers’ pockets.

Meanwhile, 30% of U.S. coal plants had already announced closure plans. No new large coal plants have been built in over a decade. The industry was dying regardless. All that pollution for nothing.