E.P.A. Plans to Loosen Mercury Rules for Coal Plants, Documents Show

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to loosen regulations on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, according to documents obtained by news sources. This move is expected to be announced on Friday by senior EPA officials. The proposed changes would revise the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), a set of rules introduced during the Obama administration that aimed to limit the release of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from power plants. The new plan would change the way the EPA calculates the benefits of regulating mercury, potentially weakening the justification for the MATS rules. This decision is part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to roll back environmental regulations and support the coal industry. Critics argue that the move could have significant health and environmental consequences, as mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can accumulate in the food chain and pose risks to human health, particularly for pregnant women and children.