Trump EPA Finalizes Weak Rule to Reduce Dangerous Air Pollution from New Gas-Burning Power Plants, Ignores Health Benefits and Lives Saved from Pollution Reduction - CleanTechnica

The Trump-era EPA has finalized a rule under the Clean Air Act that weakens emission limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from new gas-burning turbines in power plants and industrial facilities. NOx contributes to smog and soot, which are linked to serious health issues such as heart and lung diseases. This final rule is significantly less protective than the Biden Administration’s 2024 proposal and, in some cases, even weaker than standards established in 2006. Notably, the rule allows certain temporary gas turbines, including those used at data centers, to emit higher NOx levels than other sources. Additionally, the EPA will no longer estimate the economic value of health benefits from reducing NOx and other pollutants in future Clean Air Act regulations, effectively ignoring the benefits of lives saved and illnesses prevented. Environmental groups like the Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club sharply criticize the rule, calling it a major step backward that endangers public health by permitting increased pollution. They highlight that the EPA’s decision abandons