Trump Eases Mercury Rules for Power Plants in Bid to Boost Coal

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday rolled back regulations limiting mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants, the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump’s administration designed to boost the nation’s shrinking coal sector.

The 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants rule — called MATS for short — requires the facilities to reduce emissions of mercury and other metal air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, which have been linked to heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays in children.