U.S. Eases Pollution Limits for Coal-Fired Power Plants

In April 2025, the Trump administration granted 66 coal-fired power plants across the United States exemptions from the Clean Air Act’s limits on emissions of mercury, arsenic, and other toxic pollutants, allowing them to continue emitting neurotoxins into the atmosphere. The move sparked an outcry from environmental groups, with critics pointing out that the exemption conditions were “technologically unavailable” and “related to national security” and lacked a scientific basis, and were actually the result of lobbying by energy giants. Polluting facilities such as the Colstrip Power Station in Montana (the highest emitter of arsenic in the nation) were included in the exemption list, which could lead to an increased risk of brain damage in children in neighboring communities.