Trump’s EPA Slashing Clean Air And Water Rules

EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum announced rollbacks in air and water pollution regulations which the agency claims will save electric utilities $100 million per year, and oil and gas operators around $1 million per year. The new provisions will cut back regulation of methane and VOC emissions from oil and gas drilling operations, and delegate to state agencies regulation of heavy metals leaching into groundwaters from coal ash pits.

According to Environmental Defense Fund spokesman Matt Watson, “This move will put an estimated 25 million people who live in counties with dangerously unhealthy air at even greater risk from oil and gas related air pollution.” Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney Frank Holleman comments “Instead of protection American communities and rivers from coal ash, EPA is trying to bail out utilities polluting our waterways and drinking water supplies. … America’s families and clean water deserve better.”