The Trump administration has exempted approximately 70 coal-fired power plants for two years from federal mandates aimed at curbing emissions of poisonous substances including mercury, arsenic, and benzene.

A list quietly put on the Environmental Protection Agency's website on Tuesday shows that 47 power companies, which run at least 66 coal power plants, are allowed to ignore the rules made by the Biden government under the Clean Air Act. These rules include one that limits air pollution from mercury and other harmful substances. This happened after President Donald Trump signed an order last week to help the coal industry, which provides reliable energy but pollutes the environment and has been getting smaller for a long time.

The EPA highlights particular power facilities granted exemptions, including the Colstrip Generating Station in Montana, which surpasses all comparable U.S. sites in releasing harmful airborne contaminants like lead and arsenic. Further exempted plants are the Coal Creek Station in North Dakota, a significant source of mercury emissions nationally, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, another major polluter.

The plants granted exemptions are owned by several of the nation's major power companies, such as Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

The exemptions also extend to four plants run by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the largest public utility in the nation.

On Tuesday, the EPA said that the president's exemptions will make coal power stronger. This will help make sure our country's power grid is dependable, electricity costs are low for Americans, and the EPA is helping to improve our nation's energy safety.

According to Michelle Bloodworth, president of a lobbying group representing coal-fired power plants, Trump acknowledges the crucial role of the nation's coal-based electricity infrastructure in ensuring a reliable and safe energy supply, which underpins the economy.

According to her, regulations enacted during the tenure of former President Joe Biden "did not align with the stipulations of the Clean Air Act and were founded upon a flawed examination of the relevant data."

The mercury regulation, implemented last year, may have precipitated the early closure of numerous coal-fired power plants, Bloodworth stated, further suggesting these facilities are essential for ensuring the dependability of the electrical network.

Environmental activists said the exemptions were a failure of responsibility by Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. These exemptions require the president to find that the technology needed to follow the new rules is not easy to get and that the plants operating helps national security.

"These permits to pollute seriously weaken important federal rules that protect the air we breathe," said Maya Golden-Krasner, a senior lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. "It is wrong to say that making people all over the country breathe in more harmful substances is necessary for national security. This shows how they put the money of companies that pollute before the health of Americans and the planet."

Environmental and public health advocacy groups have condemned the administration's proposal to award exemptions, arguing that it could enable numerous corporations to circumvent regulations designed to safeguard the environment and public well-being.

Critics have dubbed the new email address established by the EPA for requesting exemptions a "polluters' portal."

Exemptions can be granted for a range of environmental regulations, encompassing restrictions on substances like mercury and ethylene oxide, among other detrimental atmospheric contaminants. Exposure to mercury carries the risk of neurological impairment, particularly in young individuals, and may lead to congenital anomalies following prenatal exposure.

Last week, Trump used his emergency power through several orders. This allowed some older coal power plants that were going to close to stay open and make electricity. This was to help with the growing need for power in the U.S., caused by more data centers, AI, and electric cars. At the same time, Trump told government groups to find coal on government land, remove things that stop coal mining, and focus on renting out U.S. land for coal.

Trump, a Republican, has consistently vowed to revitalize what he refers to as "beautiful" coal for powering electricity generation and various applications.