The Environmental Protection Agency made a new rule that says coal-fired companies must report their emissions or they will have to close.
One of the main goals of the Biden Administration is to fight greenhouse gas emissions that are making the climate warmer, and there has been a push for more rules and limits. Biden wants to get rid of carbon pollution in the energy sector within ten years, and these rules are part of that plan.
As the EPA put it, the rule would give the power business “regulatory certainty and encourage them to make investments to transition to a clean energy economy.”
This rule is meant to keep coal ash safe in storage ponds that aren’t sealed and to cut down on the toxic pollution that comes from coal-fired plants’ wastewater. The head of the EPA, Michael Regan, said, “Pollution caused by people hurts our air, water, and land and is one of the biggest environmental problems our country faces.” He went on to say, “This pollution is not only very bad for public health, it’s also putting our planet in danger.”
The new rules are likely to be fought by business groups and states that lean Republican. They both said that the Biden Administration is going too far and that it could lead to a problem with the stability of the power grid.
This rule is the first time the federal government has tried to limit the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired power companies can put into the air. The EPA says this rule could have a huge effect, which would be good for both people’s health and the environment.
