US EPA Nominee Andrew Wheeler’s Mercury and Air Toxics Rollback

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite resounding support for the cost-effective and popular Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule, which has helped power plants reduce their mercury pollution by 90 percent in the past decade nationwide, EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, President Trump’s nominee to be EPA Administrator, in December announced that EPA is rolling back critical protections by asserting that it is no longer “appropriate and necessary” to regulate this pollution from coal and oil fired power plants under MATS.

Across the country, a widespread chorus of stakeholders, including Republicans and Democrats, coal-fired utilities, environmental groups, public health organizations, religious organizations and concerned citizens, has been speaking out against this move by EPA that would lead to increased air pollution, higher health care costs and uncertainty for the American utility industry.

As EPA continues down this dangerous path alone, here’s what people across the country are saying about this decision that puts the MATS rule in legal jeopardy:

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