EPA Relaxes Limits on Toxins From Coal-Powered Plants

Emissions of mercury, other pollutants can harm kids' brain development, critics warn

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Environmental Protection Agency has weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, the latest effort by the Trump administration to boost the fossil fuel industry by paring back clean air and water rules. The move reverses tightened standards established under the Obama administration that had reduced mercury emissions by nearly 90%.

Why it matters

Toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired plants can harm brain development in young children and contribute to heart attacks and other health issues in adults. The plants are also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change.

The details

The EPA announced the repeal of the tightened Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, or MATS, at a coal plant next to the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky. The agency said the change should save hundreds of millions of dollars, but environmental groups argue the tightened rules have saved lives and made communities that live near coal-fired power plants healthier. Industry groups, however, contend the tougher standards made operating coal plants too expensive.

  • The EPA announced the repeal of the tightened MATS rule on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The original MATS standards were first established in 2012 by the Obama administration.

The players

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment.

David Fotouhi

An EPA official who said the agency's actions will "return the industry to the highly effective original MATS standards that helped pave the way for American energy dominance."

Gina McCarthy

Former EPA administrator under President Obama, who criticized the EPA's decision, saying it is "actively spiking any attempt to make America—and our children—healthy."

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“[The] EPA's actions today [right] the wrongs of the last administration's rule and will return the industry to the highly effective original MATS standards that helped pave the way for American energy dominance.”

— David Fotouhi, EPA official (Associated Press)

“By weakening pollution limits and monitoring for brain-damaging mercury and other pollutants, they are actively spiking any attempt to make America—and our children—healthy.”

— Gina McCarthy, Former EPA administrator under President Obama (Associated Press)

What’s next

The Biden administration had sought to tighten the MATS standards even further after the first Trump administration had moved to undermine them, so it is possible the new administration will challenge the EPA's latest decision to relax the limits on toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants.

The takeaway

This decision by the EPA highlights the ongoing tension between environmental protection and the fossil fuel industry, with the Trump administration favoring policies that support the coal industry over concerns about public health and climate change. The long-term impacts of this regulatory rollback on air quality, public health, and the environment remain to be seen.