In yet another reversal of a Trump-era policy in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday that it will begin enforcement of a rule that limits mercury and other harmful chemicals emitted by power plants.
The EPA action reinstates a 2012 regulation enacted by President Barack Obama, which was credited with reducing mercury’s terrible brain damage in children and preventing thousands of premature deaths, as well as lowering the risk of heart attacks and cancer, among other public health advantages.
“Sound science shows that we need to limit mercury and pollutants in the air to protect children and vulnerable communities from unsafe pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan in a statement. “The EPA is committed to aggressively lowering pollution from the electricity industry so that all people, regardless of ZIP code or financial means, can breathe clean air and lead healthy and productive lives.”
Under Regan, the EPA has proposed a series of regulatory steps, including a plan to impose stricter limits on tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks, as well as tighter controls on methane emissions, a major contributor to global warming.
The Interior Department has also announced the approval of large-scale solar projects in California and other states, as well as support for huge offshore wind projects along the East Coast.
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