Trump EPA Shirks Legal Obligation to Act on Climate Pollution from Power Plants
Fossil-fueled power plants are the largest industrial source of carbon pollution in the U.S.
Contacts
Alexandria Trimble, atrimble@earthjustice.org
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its repeal of greenhouse gas pollution standards for coal and gas-fired power plants. At the same time, the EPA issued a proposal that attempts to repeal the scientific and legal finding that greenhouse gas pollution from power plants harms public health and welfare.
Jill Tauber, Vice President for Climate & Energy at Earthjustice, issued the following statement in response:
“The EPA has a legal obligation to protect us from climate pollution from power plants. As millions of Americans suffer through more extreme heat, wildfires, and torrential storms, the Trump administration is denying what we know to be true: climate pollution is harming our health, welfare, and economy. Earthjustice and our partners will continue to defend climate protections and hold the Trump administration accountable.”
Background on Greenhouse Gas Pollution Standards for Power Plants
This proposal follows the Trump EPA’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding for vehicles in February. Earthjustice and its partners are currently defending the Endangerment Finding in court.
The Biden administration finalized the first-ever standards to limit carbon pollution from new gas and existing coal-burning power plants, requiring them to control 90% of their carbon pollution, in 2024. The rule was projected to create up to $370 billion in climate and public health net benefits over the next two decades and cut annual carbon emissions by the same amount as taking 328 million gas cars off the road.
Fossil-fueled power plants are the largest industrial source of climate pollution, responsible for more than 30% of U.S. carbon pollution, as well as other dangerous air pollution that harms our health.
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