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Ashley Sullivan
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Environmental justice organizations and partners reject EPA’s attempt to repeal protections against climate pollution from power plants
WASHINGTON — This week, the public comment window closed on an effort by the Trump administration’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to abandon its duty to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants. Over 60 organizations have signed on to a joint public comment letter led by coalitions Clean Air for the Long Haul and Platform for a Just Climate urging the agency to end their proposal, and to instead fulfill their mission to protect the health and environments of people across the U.S., especially frontline communities most impacted.
In September, alongside finalizing the repeal of most of the 2024 carbon pollution standards, the EPA proposed rescinding every remaining greenhouse gas standards for power plants, along with the findings that underpin them. Power plants are the second largest source of climate pollution, supercharging deadly impacts like extreme heat that are experienced most severely by environmental justice communities.
Due to discriminatory policies, these same communities are also more likely to live next door to coal and gas-fired power plants, causing greater exposure to toxic air pollution from these sources. Heightened exposure contributes to higher rates of severe health issues and even premature death. More than half of children and over 78 million people of color in this country breathe dirty air, linked in many cases to power sector pollution.
The over 60 organizations in opposition to these rollbacks emphasize that the EPA’s actions disregard the public health impacts and costs, and are unlawful as it is the Agency’s duty to regulate climate emissions.
See below for testimonials from the public comment letter.
“…the impact of this pollution is not only felt in our community via our health; greenhouse gas emissions from industries have continued to accelerate climate change and the associated environmental hazards and freak weather events. Pollution-burdened communities have already been—and will continue to be—impacted by climate change first and worst.” – Mia Ayala-Marshall, Duwamish River Community Coalition
“For Louisiana and Gulf Coast communities, this is about more than energy policy. It is about protecting our health, keeping families safe, reducing the risks that threaten our homes and livelihoods, and ensuring that communities can recover from disasters without facing additional environmental burdens. We urge EPA to withdraw its proposal and maintain strong greenhouse gas protections for fossil-fuel-fired power plants. Our communities deserve clean air, meaningful safeguards against climate pollution, and an energy future that prioritizes public health, environmental justice, and community resilience.” – Dr. Beverly Wright, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
“Just as ‘Big Tech’ needs ‘Big Oil’ to power this expansion, the oil industry is relying on tech giants to justify further investment in fossil fuels. At a time when we should be accelerating our transition away from dirty energy, the EPA is proposing to remove the very safeguards intended to limit climate pollution from these facilities. Enough is enough. Communities like ours should not have to sacrifice their health, their environment, and their future so a handful of corporations can continue profiting from pollution.” – Yvonee Taylor, Seneca Lake Guardian
The power plant repeal sits inside Trump’s dangerous deregulatory agenda, including a concerted effort by EPA to target more than 30 environmental and health protections in the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. Clean Air For The Long Haul and Platform for a Just Climate continue the work to engage with decision-makers and the EPA to defend clean air and climate protections including hosting a briefing this Clean Air Month in May, and will keep amplifying the stories of those most impacted. The CAFLH also recently released an IMPACT digital media partnership and an op-ed piece, both showcasing critical stories about effects of rollbacks to people on the frontlines of climate and health crises driven by power plant pollution.
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About Clean Air For The Long Haul (CAFLH)
Clean Air For The Long Haul is a nationwide coalition of environmental justice groups that coordinates federal rulemaking campaigns to reduce air pollution from the U.S. power and transportation sectors. Coalition member organizations include: Duwamish River Community Coalition, Green Door Initiative, GreenLatinos, PODER Austin, RiSE4EJ, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, West End Revitalization Association and Wisconsin/Michigan Green Muslims.
About Platform for a Just Climate
The Platform for a Just Climate is a coalition of environmental justice groups and national environmental organizations from across the country united around a shared commitment to ending environmental racism. Our coalition has stood strong since 2019 around our shared vision for a just climate future — and our platform has grown to include over 300 co-signer organizations from all over the country. Learn more at AJustClimate.org. Coalition member organizations include: Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED), Center for American Progress (CAP), Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), Earthjustice, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ), Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform (EJHA), Green Door Initiative, Harambee House – Citizens for Environmental Justice, League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Los Jardines Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA), ReGenesis Institute, Sierra Club, Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School, Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.