UPHE speaks out on EPA’s planned power plant rule rollback

The EPA is bailing out on a promise made to power plant communities and neighbors to clean the air. Under the Biden Administration, the EPA mandated that power plants keep up with advances in pollution control technology, to reduce emissions like mercury and soot.

The rule was going to shut down two Utah power plants, Hunter and Huntington, two of the dirtiest plants in the country. But because of the rollback, these plants will stay open for at least the next 20 years.  

UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench spoke out at the EPA’s virtual hearing on the rollback, calling it exactly what it is, indefensible cruelty and a moral collapse. E&E News covered my comments, as well as the comments of other experts in the field of public health and environmentalists. These plants have long been linked to increased rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Their emissions also contribute to Utah’s persistent air quality problems.

We cannot allow polluters to keep winning at the expense of Utah’s most vulnerable communities. The science is clear. The technology exists. The EPA must be held accountable to its mission—and its promises.

E&E News Coverage.