"It's repealing Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) just as electricity demand in the US ticks up with the buildout of new AI data centers. Those standards are particularly impactful when it comes to pollution from coal plants responsible for around half of mercury emissions in the US. Mercury is a neurotoxin; high exposure has been linked to birth defects and learning disabilities in children. Exposure can also impact the kidneys and nervous system."
"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its repeal of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that the Biden administration strengthened in 2024. The Trump administration is rolling the standards back to where they were in 2012 when the Obama administration initially instituted them. Weakening the regulations is supposed to save $78 million each year starting in 2028, according to an EPA fact sheet."
The Trump administration repealed Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), rolling standards back to 2012 levels and finalizing the rollback by the EPA. The rollback is projected to save $78 million annually starting in 2028. Coal plants account for about half of U.S. mercury emissions; mercury is a neurotoxin linked to birth defects, learning disabilities, and damage to kidneys and the nervous system. The repeal coincides with rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers, domestic manufacturing, and electric vehicles, and could make power generation dirtier while facilitating faster construction of data centers and fossil-fuel infrastructure.
Read at The Verge
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