{"id":5844,"date":"2026-02-23T14:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weact.org\/?post_type=update&p=5844"},"modified":"2026-03-02T16:25:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:25:49","slug":"environmental-justice-advocates-decry-trumps-epa-latest-rollback-of-mercury-and-air-toxics-protections","status":"publish","type":"update","link":"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/updates\/environmental-justice-advocates-decry-trumps-epa-latest-rollback-of-mercury-and-air-toxics-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental Justice Advocates Decry Trump\u2019s EPA Latest Rollback of Mercury and Air Toxics Protections"},"template":"","class_list":["post-5844","update","type-update","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","update_type-press-release","focus_tax-clean-air","focus_tax-environmental-health","person_tax-ashley-sullivan"],"acf":{"details":{"":null,"featured_image":5221,"update_type":[366],"focus_area":[5,8],"authors":[207],"abstract":""},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_hero_links","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_hero_links":{"title":"","abstract":"","links":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"The latest EPA rollback of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards follows the Trump administration's continued campaign of devastating harm for the sake of polluter profits <\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\r\n<\/b>February, 23 2026\r\n<\/span>Contact: Ashley Sullivan, <\/span>ashley.sulivan@weact.org<\/span><\/a>, 1 (917) 837-1183<\/span>\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON <\/b>- The Clean Air for the Long Haul coalition of environmental justice groups stand firmly against the Trump administration\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final <\/span>rule<\/span><\/a> to weaken the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which were <\/span>strengthened in 2024<\/span><\/a>. Our coalition provided public <\/span>comments<\/span><\/a>, building on the work of thousands of people over decades to fight for the right to clean air for our communities. We emphasized the need for strengthened protections for coal-fired power plants that emit dangerous levels of <\/span>mercury<\/span><\/a> and other toxic pollutants, poisoning the air and water. This disproportionately negatively impacts people of color and low-income communities, especially those living on the fenceline and downwind of these facilities. The 2024 MATS rule was projected to <\/span>provide up\u202fto\u202f<\/span>$420 million<\/span><\/a>\u202f<\/b>in monetized health and climate benefits\u202fthrough 2037 and <\/span>reduce allowable emissions of\u202fnickel, arsenic, lead<\/span><\/a> and other toxic metals<\/span>\u202f<\/b>from coal plants by<\/span>\u202f<\/b>two-thirds <\/span>\u2014 all of which will be lost with this rollback. This rollback will only worsen impacts from poverty and environmental injustice - deepening health disparities, increasing toxic exposure, and further burdening communities already struggling with limited resources and inadequate healthcare.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/span>In response, Clean Air for the Long Haul<\/a> shares the following,<\/span>\r\n
\u201cThe role of the EPA is not to give polluters free reign for the sake of their financial gain and at the cost of our lives. The EPA was created through public pressure to protect human health and the environment, and is paid to achieve that mission under the law by our tax dollars. Yet, with the rollback of protections against toxic air pollution that will surely once again benefit corporate polluters, we can see where this administration's priorities actually lie. Following dozens of similar rollbacks including the ability for the Agency to protect us from climate chaos and transportation pollution, this continued assault on public health and the environment reveals a corrupted EPA. It is not only our right under the law, but a foundational human right to be able to breathe clean air, and live in health and safety.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMercury pollution harms children<\/span><\/a> and fetuses by causing permanent brain damage with long-term harms such as development delays, learning disabilities, and birth defects. Communities of color and low-income communities are <\/span>more likely<\/span><\/a> to live near coal-fired power plants and be exposed to this dangerous pollution. We should not be exposed to any levels of toxic air, and yet when we fight for even some protections Trump\u2019s EPA refuses to do their job. The final rule is a definitive violation of the mission of the EPA, as it clearly will cause increased harm rather than protect the public. The right to clean air is ours - all of ours - and we will never stop working together to claim it for our health, our families, and our future. \u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\nThe standards limiting mercury and air toxics pollution have been successful in<\/span> reducing mercury pollution from power plants by 90%,<\/span><\/a> as well as having additional benefits of decreasing other dangerous air pollutants. An Associated Press study estimates that the efforts of the Trump administration\u2019s EPA to eliminate more than 30 protections that protect our air, water, and climate will cost <\/span>$275 billion dollars and more than 30,000 lives<\/span><\/a> lost each year. Weakening the MATS rule, along with eliminating safeguards protecting communities from soot and smog pollution, will <\/span>increase coal-related deaths by 10,000<\/span><\/a> each year.<\/span>\r\n

# # #<\/p>\r\nClean Air For The Long Haul is a nationwide coalition of environmental justice groups working together to win major federal emissions reductions in the power and transportation sectors. Coalition member organizations include: Alternatives for Community and Environment<\/a>, <\/span>Connecticut Coalition for Environmental and Economic Justice (CCEEJ)<\/a>, Duwamish River Community Coalition<\/a>, Green Door Initiative<\/a>, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance<\/a>, South Bronx Unite<\/a>, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services<\/a>, WE ACT for Environmental Justice<\/a>, West End Revitalization Association<\/a>, and Wisconsin Green Muslims<\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\n ","include_drop_cap":false}}]},"yoast_head":"\nEnvironmental Justice Advocates Decry Trump\u2019s EPA Latest Rollback of Mercury and Air Toxics Protections<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Environmental Justice Advocates Decry Trump\u2019s EPA Latest Rollback of Mercury and Air Toxics Protections\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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