The EPA placed a delay on a rule that would have limited wastewater pollution from coal-fired plants. (Photo: pennjohnson/Flickr/cc)
Sep 14, 2017
In a move that critics are calling "deeply disturbing," the Trump administration announced on Wednesday a two-year delay to an Obama-era rule limiting wastewater pollution at coal plants.
In 2015 the Obama administration developed new limits on metals including lead, mercury, and arsenic in coal-fired plants' wastewater, set to go into effect in 2018. The pollutants in question "can cause severe health problems, including cancer and lowered I.Q. among children, as well as deformities and reproductive harm in fish and wildlife," according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which fought against the rollback of the limits.
The Environmental Protection Agency is postponing the rules in order to provide "relief from the existing regulatory deadlines while the agency revisits some of the rule's requirements," said EPA head Scott Pruitt in a statement. The EPA now has until 2020 to study the effects of the regulations before they go into effect.
While Pruitt and the fossil fuel industry defend the rollback as a way to save money and jobs, the EPA itself has found that the pollution limits would save between $450 million and $566 million per year. Earthjustice called the delay to the limits "a bold-faced gift to the coal industry at the expense of the health of families everywhere."
Howard Crystal of the Center for Biological Diversity added, "It's deeply disturbing to see the Trump administration giving power plants permission to keep dumping toxic metals like arsenic into our rivers and drinking water supplies. This mind-bogglingly dangerous decision threatens our children's well-being and the survival of endangered wildlife."
The wastewater rule delay is just the latest of President Donald Trump's rollbacks of Obama-era environmental regulations. Last month, just before Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area with severe flooding, the president passed an executive order to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects in flood-prone zones by weakening environmental review rules. In another move affecting the coal industry, he also signed a bill reversing the Stream Protection Rule which protects streams from mountaintop removal mining debris.
"The EPA is tossing out safeguards that would finally address our nation's leading source of toxic water pollution while the drinking water of millions of Americans hangs in the balance," Crystal said of the most recent rollback. "We will fight to reverse this decision and make sure the Trump administration prioritizes protecting our health and wildlife over padding the pockets of polluters."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a move that critics are calling "deeply disturbing," the Trump administration announced on Wednesday a two-year delay to an Obama-era rule limiting wastewater pollution at coal plants.
In 2015 the Obama administration developed new limits on metals including lead, mercury, and arsenic in coal-fired plants' wastewater, set to go into effect in 2018. The pollutants in question "can cause severe health problems, including cancer and lowered I.Q. among children, as well as deformities and reproductive harm in fish and wildlife," according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which fought against the rollback of the limits.
The Environmental Protection Agency is postponing the rules in order to provide "relief from the existing regulatory deadlines while the agency revisits some of the rule's requirements," said EPA head Scott Pruitt in a statement. The EPA now has until 2020 to study the effects of the regulations before they go into effect.
While Pruitt and the fossil fuel industry defend the rollback as a way to save money and jobs, the EPA itself has found that the pollution limits would save between $450 million and $566 million per year. Earthjustice called the delay to the limits "a bold-faced gift to the coal industry at the expense of the health of families everywhere."
Howard Crystal of the Center for Biological Diversity added, "It's deeply disturbing to see the Trump administration giving power plants permission to keep dumping toxic metals like arsenic into our rivers and drinking water supplies. This mind-bogglingly dangerous decision threatens our children's well-being and the survival of endangered wildlife."
The wastewater rule delay is just the latest of President Donald Trump's rollbacks of Obama-era environmental regulations. Last month, just before Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area with severe flooding, the president passed an executive order to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects in flood-prone zones by weakening environmental review rules. In another move affecting the coal industry, he also signed a bill reversing the Stream Protection Rule which protects streams from mountaintop removal mining debris.
"The EPA is tossing out safeguards that would finally address our nation's leading source of toxic water pollution while the drinking water of millions of Americans hangs in the balance," Crystal said of the most recent rollback. "We will fight to reverse this decision and make sure the Trump administration prioritizes protecting our health and wildlife over padding the pockets of polluters."
In a move that critics are calling "deeply disturbing," the Trump administration announced on Wednesday a two-year delay to an Obama-era rule limiting wastewater pollution at coal plants.
In 2015 the Obama administration developed new limits on metals including lead, mercury, and arsenic in coal-fired plants' wastewater, set to go into effect in 2018. The pollutants in question "can cause severe health problems, including cancer and lowered I.Q. among children, as well as deformities and reproductive harm in fish and wildlife," according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which fought against the rollback of the limits.
The Environmental Protection Agency is postponing the rules in order to provide "relief from the existing regulatory deadlines while the agency revisits some of the rule's requirements," said EPA head Scott Pruitt in a statement. The EPA now has until 2020 to study the effects of the regulations before they go into effect.
While Pruitt and the fossil fuel industry defend the rollback as a way to save money and jobs, the EPA itself has found that the pollution limits would save between $450 million and $566 million per year. Earthjustice called the delay to the limits "a bold-faced gift to the coal industry at the expense of the health of families everywhere."
Howard Crystal of the Center for Biological Diversity added, "It's deeply disturbing to see the Trump administration giving power plants permission to keep dumping toxic metals like arsenic into our rivers and drinking water supplies. This mind-bogglingly dangerous decision threatens our children's well-being and the survival of endangered wildlife."
The wastewater rule delay is just the latest of President Donald Trump's rollbacks of Obama-era environmental regulations. Last month, just before Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area with severe flooding, the president passed an executive order to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects in flood-prone zones by weakening environmental review rules. In another move affecting the coal industry, he also signed a bill reversing the Stream Protection Rule which protects streams from mountaintop removal mining debris.
"The EPA is tossing out safeguards that would finally address our nation's leading source of toxic water pollution while the drinking water of millions of Americans hangs in the balance," Crystal said of the most recent rollback. "We will fight to reverse this decision and make sure the Trump administration prioritizes protecting our health and wildlife over padding the pockets of polluters."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.