The government under Trump let nearly 70 power plants that burn coal not follow rules for two years. These rules were about making less harmful chemicals like mercury.

A list on a government website shows that 47 companies that make power can ignore some rules about air pollution from their coal plants.

Some power plants don't have to follow the rules. For example, the Colstrip power plant in Montana sends out more bad chemicals like lead and arsenic than any other plant like it in the US. The EPA says this. Other plants that don't follow the rules are the Coal Creek plant in North Dakota, which sends out a lot of mercury, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, which also makes a lot of pollution.

Some big power companies in the country own the plants that don't have to follow the rules. These companies are Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

The rules also cover four power plants run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The EPA said on Tuesday that the president's decision will help coal power plants make more electricity. This will help make sure our country's electricity system is strong. It will also help make electricity cheaper for people. And it will help the EPA make our country's energy safe.

Michelle Bloodworth, who is in charge of a group for coal power plants, said Trump thinks coal plants are very important for the country. She said they help make sure we have a safe and steady supply of electricity, which is very important for our economy.

She said the rules from the former president did not follow the Clean Air Act and used the wrong information.

Bloodworth said that a rule about mercury from last year might have made many coal power plants close early. He also said that we need these plants to keep the electricity system reliable.

Environmental groups said the President and the head of the EPA were not doing their job. They said this because the rules for power plants were changed. The President said it was hard to get the technology to follow the new rules and that the power plants were important for the country's safety.

Maya Golden-Krasner, a lawyer for an environmental group, said, "These permits that let companies pollute make big holes in the rules that keep our air clean. It is bad to say that making people breathe more bad chemicals is needed for the country's safety. This shows they care more about company money than about the health of people and the Earth."

Groups that care about nature and health say the government's plan to let some companies not follow rules could be bad for the environment and people's health.

Some people say the new email address from the EPA is bad because it helps companies that pollute ask for special permission.

They can make exceptions for nine rules about clean air. These rules limit dangerous things like mercury and ethylene oxide. If people breathe in mercury, it can hurt their brain, mostly in children. It can also cause problems for babies before they are born.

Last week, President Trump used his special powers to keep some old coal power plants working. He did this to make more electricity because the U.S. needs more power for things like data centers, AI, and electric cars. He also told government groups to find more coal on government land, make it easier to dig for coal, and focus on renting land for digging coal.

Trump, who is a Republican, has often said he wants to use more coal to make electricity and for other things.