The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to roll back limits on toxic wastewater from coal-fired power plants, according to reports from multiple outlets. The rules targeted heavy metals released when wastewater and polluted groundwater flow into nearby streams and rivers. The EPA argues that a regulation adopted about three years ago imposes costs that are unnecessary, particularly as energy demand rises. The proposed change would ease compliance requirements related to preventing or limiting the release of contaminants from coal-fired power plants.
The outlets describe the action as part of an effort by the Trump administration to relax existing environmental limits tied to wastewater discharges and groundwater contamination. While the EPA frames the rollback as a response to burden on the energy industry, the underlying requirement being revised is aimed at reducing the presence of toxic metals in surface waters. The reported move focuses on coal-fired power plants and the wastewater pathways that can carry hazardous substances into waterways.
