Trump’s Dirty Deal: Polluters Can Now Email Their Way Out of Clean Air Laws

In a plot twist fit for dystopian fiction, the Trump administration has quietly opened a backdoor for polluters: power plants and chemical giants can now simply email the EPA for a pass to break clean air laws — and many already have. Over 60 coal-fired plants received two-year waivers from mercury and toxic emissions rules, while the administration eyes similar favors for eight more industries, including chemical facilities emitting cancer-linked toxins like benzene and ethylene oxide.

This maneuver hinges on a rarely used clause in the Clean Air Act — never meant for blanket rollbacks — which Trump and EPA chief Lee Zeldin are now stretching beyond recognition. With no scientific review or public input, and under pressure from the American Chemistry Council and fossil fuel lobbyists, over 200 sites could be cleared to emit thousands of tons of toxins annually, affecting communities across Texas, Louisiana, and the Midwest.

While families brace for the health fallout — from birth defects to cancer — the administration shields industry profits behind closed doors. No press releases, no town halls, just an accidental “oops” to the American public. The science is clear, the consequences are dire, and yet the message from Washington reads: inbox zero, emissions unlimited.
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