Action Alerts

Protect our waterways from toxic coal plant wastewater

What's At Stake

For decades, coal-fired power plants have treated our waters like open sewers. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized improved wastewater treatment standards for these plants. Now, Trump’s EPA is trying to gut these stricter rules to bail out the coal industry. 

Tell the EPA today to protect our water from coal-fired power plant pollution by not delaying or weakening these wastewater treatment standards!  

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Coal-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of toxic pollutants (such as arsenic, mercury, and selenium) in our rivers, lakes, and streams. The technology used to clean up that wastewater has been available, and is required under the Clean Water Act. Prior to 2015, however, there were no limits on toxic pollutants in wastewater discharges on power plants. 

 Nearly 30 million people rely on drinking water sources that are still likely contaminated with wastewater from these power plants. Now the Trump administration is giving them the green light to keep dumping toxic pollutants into our waterways. 

This proposed rollback is only one part of the Trump administration’s attempts to revive the failing coal industry. In late September, they announced $625 million of subsidies for coal plants – money that comes from taxpayers like you –and opened 13.1 million acres of public lands for coal leasing. They forced retiring fossil fuel power plants to keep operating, even though the electricity is not needed. These actions come alongside attempts to halt America’s clean energy boom.  

We will be fighting the administration’s efforts to bring coal back at every step, but we can’t do it without you. Send in your public comment to the Environmental Protection Agency today and urge them to protect our waterways! 

Aerial drone view of the Fort Martin coal-fired power station near Morgantown in West Virginia in the late autumn. (Getty Images)
The Fort Martin coal-fired power station near Morgantown in West Virginia. (Getty Images)

28 Days Remain

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Your Actions Matter

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You level the playing field.

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Throughout each of the public comment periods we alert you to, Earthjustice’s attorneys are researching and writing in-depth, technical comments to submit — detailing how the regulation could and should be stronger to protect the environment, our communities, and our planet.

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What this means is each of us can take a role in shaping the rules our government creates — and ensuring those rules are fair and effective.