Trump EPA Says Mercury Limits On Coal Plants Too Costly, Not 'Necessary'

In another proposed reversal of an Obama-era standard, the Environmental Protection Agency Friday said limiting mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants is not cost-effective and should not be considered "appropriate and necessary." The EPA says it is keeping the 2012 restrictions in place for now, in large part because utilities have already spent billions to comply with them. But environmental groups worry the move is a step toward repealing the limits and could make it harder to impose other regulations in the future. In a statement, the EPA said it is "providing regulatory certainty by transparently and accurately taking account of both costs and benefits." The National Mining Association welcomed the move, calling the mercury limits "punitive" and "massively unbalanced." When coal is burned it releases mercury into the air, where it can cause health risks to people including neurological disorders, heart and lung problems and compromised immune