This spike is no surprise given President Trump’s actions to exempt coal power plants from key pollution rules. Rolling back safeguards invites dirtier operations, higher emissions, and more toxic pollution. That’s exactly what the data now shows.
Because emissions grew faster than power generation last year, it suggests plant owners burned dirtier coal or shut off pollution controls more often last year.
Rising sulfur dioxide emissions threaten public health through lung disease and asthma attacks. Power plants also released more mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin, last year.
According to EPA data analyzed by NRDC, sulfur dioxide emissions rose 18% last year—one of the biggest jumps in 30 years—and outpaced power production. This means electricity was significantly dirtier in 2025 than in 2024. www.nrdc.org/press-releas...
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Latest News Natural gas power grab for Musk AI data center in Memphis sparks environmental justice fight Christian Dennis speaks against xAI's use of gas turbines at their facility during a meeting of the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board on Dec. 15, 2025 (AP Photo/George Walker IV).
“Citizens are fed up with the idea of being polluted, and they do not want that in their community,” said Kermit Moore, president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP
Read the full story here: news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/natural...
Watch video: youtu.be/wMyKKVbYj40
Repeated delays send a clear signal that climate change has been completely abandoned as an issue that the Trump Administration intends to address.
Delaying greenhouse gas reporting to pave the way for ending it undermines the program’s core purpose of transparency and accountability. This data is essential for tracking pollution and protecting communities.
In Sept. 2025, EPA proposed ending Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for 46 of 47 source categories. Petroleum was exempt due to a congressional mandate under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, but that reporting was paused until 2034 under Trump.
Last week, the EPA pushed the greenhouse gas emissions reporting deadline from March 31 to Oct. 30, saying it expects to finalize a proposal by then to eliminate the reporting requirement altogether. www.eenews.net/articles/epa...
Deregulating protections against harmful pesticides is a serious public health threat. Rising cancer rates tied to pesticide exposure, paired with deregulation, weakened science, and laws shielding chemical companies put farmworkers and rural communities at risk.
North Dakota and Georgia recently passed laws limiting lawsuits against pesticide companies, with more states considering similar measures.
Under the Trump Administration, EPA and USDA hired dozens of former pesticide executives and lobbyists who pushed deregulation, while the Department of Health and Human Services altered reports to downplay harms.
Most high-use counties are in the Midwest, and 60% of these counties exceed the national cancer rate. investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/18/p...
Pesticides are increasingly linked to higher cancer rates in farm communities. In Hardin County, Iowa, with about 800 farms, pesticide use is over four times the U.S. average and cancer rates are among the state’s highest.
President Trump’s decision to exempt coke oven operators from the hazardous air pollution rules is not consistent with the Clean Air Act and puts downwind communities at risk.
Monitors in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Alabama found benzene levels from nearly twice to more than 14 times the exposure limit recommended by the American Council of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2dcf...
Data compiled by EIP shows fenceline monitoring detecting elevated benzene levels at several coke oven facilities.
In 2025, President Trump exempted many steel industry coke ovens from new EPA hazardous air pollution control rules for two years. Jaclyn Brass of the Southern Environmental Law Center called the move unlawful, noting the required monitoring technology already exists and was previously used.
It undermines progress, stifles clean-energy investment, and weakens our ability to compete in a rapidly-evolving global market.
The U.S. would be one of the only major nations on Earth that doesn’t restrict this harmful pollution from vehicles. This is not only bad for the environment and public health but also for the American economy.
Car buyers can still choose efficient cars, and California plans to sue to keep strict standards. But the Trump Administration is also proposing to weaken Department of Transportation fuel regulations, which would make compliance voluntary.
The Trump administration is attempting to repeal the EPA’s endangerment finding. If the administration is successful, one result of this ill-conceived decision would be that the U.S. would not have federal rules guiding how efficient America’s passenger cars and trucks should be.
Failing to prioritize replacing these pipes leaves communities vulnerable to ongoing contamination and long-term health damage.
Lead is one of the most toxic substances, with no safe level of exposure, according to EPA. It lowers children’s IQ, harms development, and raises blood pressure. In 2024, EPA estimated 9 million lead lines need replacement, later revised in 2025 to 4 million after a methodology change.
Congress recently voted to cut $125 million allocated to replace toxic lead drinking water pipes in states like Michigan, Illinois, Texas, and New York. The cut comes from the $15 billion approved in 2021 for lead pipe replacement, with GOP leaders redirecting funds to wildfire prevention.
Join us tomorrow for The Future We’re Building Symposium where EIP's very own Tom Pelton is a guest speaker. This symposium blends science, storytelling, and strategy, highlighting examples of communities getting it right and addressing emerging challenges.
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Trump brands himself as a champion of the U.S. economy, but these numbers tell a different story. Policies attacking clean energy have driven $35 billion in canceled projects and tens of thousands of lost jobs which undermine growth, investment, and economic stability.
