One of America’s Dirtiest Coal Plants Seeks Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card from Trump

The owners of one of America’s dirtiest coal-fired power plants have asked the Trump administration for a two-year exemption on compliance with federal clean air standards. Montana’s Colstrip plant is the largest emitter of toxic particulate matter of any plant in the country’s aging coal fleet. Yet it hopes to take advantage of President Trump’s offer for companies to send an email requesting permission to bypass the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) updated Mercury and Air Toxic Standards. Montana’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the EPA earlier this week urging the agency to approve NorthWestern Energy and Talen Montana’s request.

“The Trump administration has offered our country’s worst polluters a get-out-of-jail-free card at the expense of community health and our environment,” said Jenny Harbine, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies Office. “If the administration grants Colstrip an exemption on the federal air toxics standards, people’s health will suffer — particularly children who face the most severe harm from breathing toxic air. These air standards are meant to help limit particulate pollution linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental harm, and respiratory illnesses. Our congressional delegation should be ashamed for going to bat to allow the biggest emitter of such toxic pollution in the country’s aging coal fleet to continue harming Montana communities.”