4 days Ago
ISTANBUL The Donald Trump administration has allowed fossil fuel companies to bypass air pollution regulations by emailing the US president to request an exemption. The Environmental Protection Agency has created a new email address for the “regulated community” to request a presidential exemption from Clean Air Act requirements, which regulate harmful toxins from polluting sources. The announcement noted that the Clean Air Act allows the president to exempt stationary sources of air pollution from standards under Section 112 if the necessary technology is unavailable and if it “is in the national security interests of the United States to do so.
” The EPA website said that submitting a request does not guarantee an exemption. “The president will make a decision on the merits,” with exemptions possibly lasting up to two years and being renewable, it added. On his first day in office, Trump cited his aim to increase domestic fossil fuel production while withdrawing from the Paris Agreement – a move that scientists warn could dangerously heat the Earth, making large parts of the planet uninhabitable and causing more climate-triggered disasters.
The new email system aligns with Trump’s broader energy and climate policies, which have prioritized fossil fuel development..
