Donald Trump Tears Down Another Key Public Health Safeguard - CleanTechnica

The article reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Donald Trump has rolled back key mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants, reversing improvements made in 2024 and reinstating the less stringent 2012 regulations. This rollback would allow the nation’s dirtiest coal plants to release up to three times more mercury, a toxic pollutant linked to serious health issues such as heart attacks, asthma, premature deaths, and neurological damage in infants. The change is scheduled to take effect in May 2025. The Sierra Club strongly condemns this decision, describing it as a direct attack on public health that prioritizes the coal industry’s profits over community safety. Laurie Williams, Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, emphasized that these protections have historically saved millions of Americans from preventable illnesses and that weakening them will harm families nationwide. The Sierra Club vows to vigorously oppose the rollback through activism, education, lobbying, and legal action. The organization is a major environmental advocacy group focused on