Trump administration aims to relax limits on toxic wastewater from coal-fired power plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to ease regulations on toxic wastewater discharges from coal-fired power plants, arguing a 2024 rule under President Joe Biden was overly costly and counterproductive. The EPA, under a Trump-era policy framework, claims the new rule will reduce power costs by up to $1.1 billion annually while addressing rising electricity demand from AI data centers. The 2024 rule required plants to treat wastewater containing heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and selenium before disposal, with compliance deadlines set for 2029. The EPA’s new proposal would replace uniform limits with case-by-case discharge standards, exempting contaminated groundwater from mandatory treatment unless actively pumped to the surface. Industry groups praised the move as a step toward affordable and reliable energy, while environmental advocates like Earthjustice condemned it as a public health risk. They argue the rule would allow hundreds of millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into waterways, many of which serve as drinking water sources. The EPA previously estimated its 2024 rule would cut pollutant discharges by 660–672 million pounds yearly, deliver $3.2 billion in annual public health benefits, and disproportionately protect low-income and minority communities. Under the new proposal, the agency claims electricity bills would rise by less than $3.50 per household annually, though critics dispute these claims. The EPA’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, framed the change as necessary to support economic growth and energy reliability amid the AI-driven demand surge. Environmental groups highlighted that coal plants are a major source of toxic pollution in U.S. waterways, with the rule change potentially exposing communities to higher levels of carcinogens and neurotoxins. Earthjustice called the proposal a corporate giveaway that prioritizes industry profits over public safety, emphasizing the risks to drinking water supplies. The EPA insists its approach balances environmental protection with practical, data-driven solutions, but opponents argue the shift undermines long-standing safeguards.