Some power plants are allowed to keep working under special rules. One is the Colstrip plant in Montana. 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 these special rules are the Coal Creek Station in North Dakota, which releases a lot 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 not included. These companies include Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

These exemptions also apply to four power plants run by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which is the biggest public energy company in the country.

The EPA said on Tuesday that the president's decisions will help produce more electricity from coal. This will make sure our country's power system works well, that electricity is cheaper for Americans, and that the EPA is helping to keep our nation's energy safe.

Michelle Bloodworth, who is in charge of a group that supports coal power plants, said Trump believes the country's coal power is "necessary for keeping our electricity supply stable and safe. This is the basis of our economy."

She said the rules made by former President Joe Biden did not follow the Clean Air Act and used a wrong analysis of the data.

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

Environmental groups said that by allowing these exceptions, which needed the president to say the technology wasn't common and that the plants helped national security, Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin failed to do their duty.

"These permissions to pollute seriously damage the main federal rules that protect the air we breathe," said Maya Golden-Krasner, a senior lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. "Saying it's a national security issue to make people across the country breathe in more harmful chemicals is wrong and upsetting. This shows that they care more about companies making money than about the health of Americans and the environment."

Environmental groups and health supporters have strongly criticized the government's plan to give special permission, saying it could let many companies avoid rules designed to protect the environment and people's health.

Critics say the new email address the EPA made for companies to ask for special permission is a "polluters' portal."

You can get exceptions from nine pollution rules, including limits on dangerous substances like mercury and ethylene oxide. Being around mercury can hurt the brain, especially for children, and can cause problems for babies before they are born if a pregnant woman is exposed.

Last week, Trump signed orders allowing older coal power plants to continue working to provide electricity for the U.S., and told government groups to find coal, make mining easier, and rent out land for coal use.

Trump, a Republican, has often said he wants to use more coal, which he calls "beautiful," to make electricity and for other things.