- The EPA has introduced an email-based system for fossil fuel companies to request exemptions from air pollution regulations. Each submission will be reviewed individually by President Trump, with approved exemptions lasting for up to two years, after which they can be renewed.
- Environmental groups argue the process could weaken public health protections by increasing emissions linked to respiratory illnesses and other complications.
- An EPA spokesperson defended the policy, citing a Clean Air Act provision that allows exemptions if compliance is technologically infeasible and it serves national security interests.
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented a new process allowing fossil fuel companies in the United States to ask for exemptions from air pollution regulations via email. This system provides a dedicated email address for oil and gas businesses to submit requests seeking permission to bypass emissions mitigation requirements under the Clean Air Act.
How will requests for exemptions be approved?
According to the EPA, each submission will be individually reviewed by President Donald Trump, who will “will make a decision on the merits” of each request.
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Approved exemptions may last up to two years and can be renewed. Companies have until Monday to submit their requests for consideration.
What have environmentalists said about this system?
Environmental organizations have raised concerns about the exemption process, arguing that it could weaken protections for public health. Critics cite potential risks associated with increased emissions from power plants, which have been linked to respiratory illnesses and other health complications.
The Environmental Defense Fund said in a statement that it filed a Freedom of Information Act request to make public the names of companies seeking exemptions. The organization indicated it is prepared to take legal action if necessary to obtain this information.
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s action is an extreme and improper abuse of Clean Air Act authorities that only allow for exemptions from vital pollution protections in very narrow circumstances,” the Environmental Defense Fund’s general counsel, Vickie Patton, said. “This is a Trump EPA-led effort to evade established limits on toxic pollution that protect millions of people across the U.S.”
What happens next?
An EPA spokesperson defended this move by the Trump administration, stating that the president has the legal authority to grant such exemptions. The agency cited a provision in the Clean Air Act that allows for relief from certain pollution standards if meeting them is considered technologically infeasible and if an exemption serves national security interests.
