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

A list 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 poisons. These actions happened after President Donald Trump signed an order last week to help the coal industry, which provides reliable energy but pollutes a lot and has been getting smaller for a long time.

Notable among the plants granted exemptions is the Colstrip Generating Station, a substantial power facility in Colstrip, Montana, which the EPA states releases more harmful air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, than any comparable U.S. plant. Additional plants with exemptions encompass Coal Creek Station, a major power plant in North Dakota recognized as a leading contributor to national mercury emissions, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, another significant source of pollution.

The plants exempted from the regulations are owned by some of the country's major power utilities, such as Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy, and Southern Co.

The exemptions additionally extend to four facilities run by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the country's foremost public utility.

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA affirmed that the presidential exemptions would strengthen coal-fired power generation, thus guaranteeing the dependability of the national grid, maintaining affordable electricity for American citizens, and fostering national energy security.

Michelle Bloodworth, the head of a group that tries to influence government for coal power plants, said Trump understands that the country's coal power system is 'very important for keeping our electricity supply strong and safe – which is the main support for our economy.'

According to her, the regulations implemented during the presidency of Joe Biden were incompatible with the provisions of the Clean Air Act, citing an flawed data analysis as the basis.

The mercury regulation, enacted last year, may have led to the early closure of numerous coal-fired power plants, according to Bloodworth, who emphasized the necessity of these facilities for maintaining the stability of the electricity supply.

Environmental groups said the exemptions were a failure of duty by Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. These exemptions need the president to say that the technology for the new rules is not easy to get and that the plants are important for national security.

"These permissions to pollute seriously weaken basic federal rules that protect the air we breathe," said Maya Golden-Krasner, a main lawyer at the environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity. "Saying that making people all over the country breathe in more harmful substances is about national security is wrong and upsetting. This shows what happens when the money made by companies that pollute is more important than the health of Americans and the planet."

Environmental groups and people who care about public health have strongly criticized the government's plan to give special permission, saying this could let many companies avoid rules that are supposed to protect nature and people's health.

Environmental campaigners have dubbed the new EPA email address, established for seeking exemptions, a "polluters' portal."

Waivers may be granted for nine environmental regulations, such as restrictions on mercury, ethylene oxide, and other harmful airborne contaminants; exposure to mercury can result in cognitive impairment, particularly in youngsters, and prenatal exposure may lead to congenital anomalies.

Last week, Trump used his emergency power through several orders to let some older coal power plants that were going to close keep making electricity. This was to help meet the growing need for power in the U.S., caused by more data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric cars. Trump also told government agencies to find coal on government land, remove things that stop coal mining, and focus on renting out U.S. land for coal mining.

Trump, a Republican, has consistently pledged to revitalise the coal industry, which he regards as "beautiful," for power generation and other applications.