The Trump administration has let nearly 70 power plants that use coal avoid federal rules for two years. These rules are meant to cut down on dangerous chemicals like mercury and arsenic.

On Tuesday, a list was put on the Environmental Protection Agency's website. It showed that 47 companies that produce power, which run at least 66 power plants using coal, are allowed to ignore some rules from President Biden's time in office. These rules are part of the Clean Air Act and stop pollution from dangerous substances like mercury. This decision happened after President Trump signed an order last week to help the coal industry, which has been getting smaller for a long time. Coal is a power source that you can depend on, but it causes a lot of pollution.

Some power plants were given special permission. One is a very large plant in Montana called the Colstrip Generating Station. This plant releases more harmful air pollution, like lead and arsenic, than any other similar plant in the US, says the EPA. Other plants with this permission are the Coal Creek Station in North Dakota, which is a big source of mercury pollution, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, which also pollutes a lot.

Some of the biggest power companies in the country own the plants that are exceptions, like Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

These exceptions also include four power stations run by the Tennessee Valley Authority. This is the biggest public energy company in the country.

On Tuesday, the EPA said the President's special permissions would help coal power plants make more electricity. This would make sure the country's power supply is reliable and electricity is not too expensive for people. It would also help with the nation's energy security.

Michelle Bloodworth, who leads a group that supports coal power plants, said Trump believes the country's coal plants are very important for keeping our electricity supply stable and safe. She added that this is the main support for our economy.

She said the rules put in place by former President Joe Biden went against the Clean Air Act and used a mistaken analysis of the information.

Bloodworth said the mercury rule, which was finished last year, might have caused many coal power plants to close early. He added that these plants are needed to keep the electricity system reliable.

Environmental groups said that President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin did not do their job properly. They criticized them for letting factories keep running with special permissions. These permissions were given because the president said the technology needed to follow the rules wasn't easy to get and that the factories were important for the country's safety.

Maya Golden-Krasner, a lawyer from an environmental group, said that letting companies pollute like this really hurts the main rules that protect our air. She also said it's wrong to say it's for national security to make people breathe more dangerous chemicals. She thinks this shows that they care more about the money polluters make than the health of people in America and the planet.

Environmental groups and health advocates have criticized the government's plan to give special permissions. They say this could allow many companies to avoid laws that protect the environment and people's health.

Experts say the new email address the EPA created for companies to ask for special permission makes it simple for companies that pollute to get what they want.

Exceptions can be made for nine environmental rules, including limits on mercury and other dangerous air pollution. If you are exposed to mercury, it can harm your brain, especially if you are a child. It can also cause problems for babies before they are born.

Last week, Trump used his special powers to sign several orders. These orders allowed some older coal power plants that were going to close to continue making electricity. This was done to meet the increasing need for power in the US, which is growing because of more data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric cars. Trump also told government agencies to find coal on government land, make coal mining easier, and focus on renting land for coal mining.

Trump, who is a Republican, has often said he wants to use more coal for power plants and other things, and he calls it "beautiful."