The Trump administration has allowed almost 70 coal power plants to not follow federal rules for two years about reducing harmful chemicals like mercury, arsenic, and benzene.

On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency put a list on their website. This list shows that 47 power companies, which have at least 66 coal power plants, do not have to follow new rules from the Biden government. These rules are part of the Clean Air Act and stop pollution from things like mercury. This happened after President Donald Trump signed an order last week to help the coal industry. The coal industry has had problems for a long time, and it causes a lot of pollution.

One power plant that is allowed to not follow these rules is the Colstrip Generating Station in Montana. This very large power plant releases more harmful air pollution, such as lead and arsenic, than any other similar plant in the United States, according to the EPA. Other plants that are allowed to not follow the rules include Coal Creek Station in North Dakota, which produces a lot of mercury pollution, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, which also pollutes a lot.

Some of the country's biggest power companies own the plants that don't have to follow the rules. These companies include Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

The 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 announced on Tuesday that the president's special permissions will support power plants that burn coal. This will help keep our country's electricity supply strong and reliable. It will also make sure electricity prices are not too high for people in America and that the EPA is helping to improve the country's energy safety.

Michelle Bloodworth, who is in charge of a group that supports coal power plants, said Trump believes the country's coal plants are "very important for keeping our electricity supply strong and safe. This supply is a main support for our economy."

She said the rules made by former President Joe Biden "didn't follow the Clean Air Act and used data in the wrong way."

Bloodworth said the rule about mercury, 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 President Trump and the head of the EPA did not do their job properly by allowing these exemptions. They explained that these exemptions should only be permitted if the technology needed is not easy to get and if the plants are important for the country's safety.

"These permissions to pollute seriously weaken federal laws that protect the air we breathe," said Maya Golden-Krasner, a lawyer at an environmental organization. "Saying that making people breathe more harmful substances is for national security is wrong. This shows they care more about making money from pollution than about the health of Americans and the Earth."

Environmental groups and health experts have strongly criticized the government's plan to give special permission, saying it could let many companies ignore laws that should protect the environment and people's health.

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

Some environmental rules, like those for mercury and ethylene oxide, can have exceptions. These pollutants are dangerous and can harm the brain and cause problems during pregnancy, especially for children.

Last week, Trump signed orders using his emergency powers. This allowed some older coal power plants, which were planned to close, to keep making electricity. He said this was to meet the increasing need for power in the US, caused by more data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric cars. Trump also told government agencies to find coal on government land, make it easier to dig for coal, and focus on renting out government land for coal mining.

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