EPA Repeals Biden-Era Mercury Standards for Coal-Fired Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Feb. 20 it would repeal Biden-era rules that further limited mercury and hazardous air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants. The rules stem from the Biden administration’s 2024 amendments to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) that would have reduced mercury emission limits for lignite-fired power plants by 70 percent. The EPA said in a statement that easing the emission standards will save the country an estimated $670 million, which will result in lower cost of living for Americans. The agency determined that the 2012 standards already offered “an ample margin of safety” and that the Biden-era amendments were not necessary because there are no cost-effective developments in control technology....