The government under President Trump has allowed almost 70 power plants that burn coal to wait two years before they have to reduce the amount of dangerous chemicals they release, like mercury and arsenic.

On Tuesday, a list was put on a government website. It showed 47 companies that make electricity. These companies use coal to make power. They don't have to follow some rules about clean air. These rules stop harmful things like mercury from going into the air. This happened after President Trump made a decision last week to help the coal industry. The coal industry is having problems. Coal plants make a lot of pollution, and people don't use them as much now.

Some big power plants can keep making the air dirty. One plant in Montana sends out more bad things like lead and arsenic than any other similar plant in the U.S. Another plant in North Dakota sends out a lot of mercury. There is also a big plant in Texas that makes the air dirty.

Some of the biggest 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.

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

The EPA said on Tuesday that the president's changes will help power plants use more coal. This will make sure we have electricity we can trust and that it's not too expensive for people. It also helps make our country's energy future safer.

Michelle Bloodworth, who is in charge of a group for coal power plants, said Trump thinks the country needs coal plants. She said they are important for a strong and safe electricity supply, and this is very important for our economy.

She said the rules from former President Joe Biden didn't follow the Clean Air Act because they used wrong information.

Bloodworth said a rule about mercury from last year might have caused some coal power plants to close sooner than planned. He also said that these plants are needed to keep the electricity system reliable.

Environmental groups said these special rules showed that Trump and Lee Zeldin did not do their job well.

Maya Golden-Krasner, a lawyer for a group that protects nature, said that letting companies pollute more hurts the rules that keep our air clean. She said it is bad to say that making people breathe more harmful chemicals is important for the country. She thinks this shows that they care more about companies making money than about the health of people and the Earth.

Environmental groups and health experts say the government's plan is bad because it could let many companies avoid following rules that protect nature and people's health.

Some people say the new email address for companies to ask the EPA for special permission is good for companies that pollute.

The government can let companies not follow nine rules about the environment, like rules about mercury. Mercury can hurt people's brains, especially children's brains. It can also cause problems for babies before they are born if their mothers are near it.

Last week, Trump made changes so some old coal power plants could stay open and make electricity. This is because the US needs more power for things like computers, new technology, and electric cars. He also told the government to find coal on government land, make it easier to dig for coal, and let companies use government land to dig for coal.

Trump, who is a Republican, has always said he wants to help the coal industry and use more coal for power plants and other things.