MCCLELLAN, Jennifer Rep
GGL 5 26
[### Trump administration aims to roll back limits on toxic ...
The Hill
https://thehill.com › policy › energy-environment › epa...](https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/epa-toxic-wastewater-coal-fired-power-plants/)
22 hours ago — It is the latest step that President Donald Trump's administration has taken to pull back regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power and ...Read more
AI Overview
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is facing intense scrutiny over policies that roll back federal limits on toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury from industrial polluters.
U.S. Senate (.gov) +3
Controversial Actions and Impact:
- Coal Ash & Wastewater: The EPA proposed rolling back requirements for coal ash wastewater and delaying cleanup deadlines at unlined coal ash dumps. This move allows coal-fired power plants to discharge more heavy metals into local waterways.
Sierra Club +2
- Repeal of 2024 MATS Regulations: Zeldin repealed the Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), returning enforcement to the looser 2012 standards. This decision allows power plants and trash incinerators to emit higher levels of hazardous air pollutants like arsenic, which are strongly linked to cancers and neurological damage.
Earthjustice +3
- Smelter Pollution Waivers: During Senate oversight hearings, Zeldin was pressed over the EPA's handling of industrial polluters—such as mining smelters near fenceline communities and elementary schools—that continue to emit tons of toxic arsenic into the air.
U.S. Senate (.gov) +1
Criticism and Responses:
- Congressional Pushback: Lawmakers have sent formal letters demanding the EPA retract its rollbacks, citing the severe health risks.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (.gov)
- Public Health and Legal Action: Environmental advocacy groups, including Earthjustice, have launched lawsuits and campaigns to challenge the EPA's decisions to scale back protections.
Earthjustice +2
- EPA Defense: Administrator Zeldin has defended the measures as regulatory relief for the energy sector, arguing that the pre-existing 2012 air toxics limits remain strict and functional. Track official federal rulemaking and environmental impacts on the Environmental Protection Agency portal.
:{:{}:
Lee Zeldin Intends to Allow More Heavy Metals ... - Sierra Club}:}:
Jun 30, 2025 — Lee Zeldin's proposal to allow coal companies to dump more heavy metals into our waterways defies all common sense.
Sierra Club
McClellan and Tonko Send Letter to Administrator Zeldin Urging ...
Jul 23, 2025 — McClellan and Tonko Send Letter to Administrator Zeldin Urging EPA to Retract Proposal to Weaken Pollution Standards * “It is the ...
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (.gov)
WATCH: In Senate EPW Hearing, Kelly Presses EPA on Lead ...
Apr 29, 2026 — Sen. Kelly shows EPA Administrator Zeldin how close the hazardous lead and arsenic smelter is to an elementary school during an EP...
---
HILL
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moved Thursday to roll back limits that require coal-fired power plants to prevent the release of toxic heavy metals into streams and rivers through polluted groundwater, saying a three-year-old rule is unduly costly for the energy industry at a time when energy demand is spiking.
It is the latest step that President Donald Trump’s administration has taken to pull back regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power and empower fossil fuels as a primary energy source to feed the rapid growth of artificial intelligence data centers.
In its proposed rule, the EPA said a 2024 rule under President Joe Biden misjudged the effectiveness and cost of the regulation, and had the effect of shutting down coal-fired power plants at a time when energy demand is spiking.
Changing the rule is critical to making electricity more affordable and reliable, while advancing the economy, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.