EPA Proposes Repeal of Power Plant Pollution Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to repeal critical standards for power plant air pollution, endangering millions of Americans. The two proposals released today would eliminate standards for carbon pollution and weaken standards for mercury and other toxic air pollutants.

The following is a statement from Manish Bapna, president & CEO of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“The EPA is hoisting the white flag of surrender on the power plant pollution that's poisoning the air we breathe and harming our climate.

“Power plants are the largest industrial source of carbon emissions, spewing more than 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually. The EPA claims this pollution is insignificant—but try telling that to the people who will experience more storms, heat waves, hospitalizations, and asthma attacks because of this repeal.

“What’s more, the EPA is trying to repeal toxic air pollution standards for the nation’s dirtiest coal plants, allowing the worst actors to keep poisoning the air.

“Ignoring the immense harm to public health from power plant pollution is a clear violation of the law. Our lawyers will be watching closely, and if the EPA finalizes a slapdash effort to repeal those rules, we'll see them in court.”

Background:

Since the Industrial Revolution, the United States is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and, until recently, power plants were the largest source of emissions in the country. They now rank second after transportation.

Since the Supreme Court decided Massachusetts v. EPA in 2007, and the EPA issued its foundational finding in 2009 that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare, the agency has been obligated under the Clean Air Act to regulate climate pollution.

The carbon standards for power plants were finalized in April of 2024 and require carbon pollution reductions from the coal- and gas-fired power plants responsible for almost one-third of the national carbon emissions under the authority of Clean Air Act Section 111. The EPA’s updated the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) of 2024 set safer limits on hazardous air pollutants like mercury, fine particulate matter, and other heavy metals. The public supports action on toxic air pollution and climate change and opposes the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back environmental standards.

According to the EPA’s 2024 analysis, the carbon pollution standards are predicted to deliver $390 billion in total climate and health benefits, more than 20 times the costs to industry. In addition, they would reduce soot, smog, and mercury pollution that cause asthma, heart attacks, lung disease, and premature death. In 2035 alone, the EPA found the rules would prevent 1,200 premature deaths and 360,000 asthma attacks. An outside analysis found these standards are a crucial “backstop” to ensure that the power sector achieves emissions reductions possible because of economic competitiveness of wind, solar and battery technologies.

The EPA’s 2024 MATS for power plants built on the success of the 2012 MATS, which reduced mercury emissions by 90 percent, reduced other metals by 80 percent, and helped save up to 11,000 lives each year. The strengthened MATS built on this tremendous success and were estimated to result in $33 million in annual health benefits. For most plants, the updated standards accomplished this by merely requiring plants to tune up the equipment that they had already installed on their smokestacks. The rule projected minimal impact on electricity reliability, with no expected retirements.