This week, the Trump administration rolled back an Obama-era regulation requiring coal plants to install technology that treats wastewater for toxic chemicals. The move could negatively affect more than one million people in the United States who live near coal plants. But it’s likely to be celebrated by coal industry leaders, who had opposed the rule for being too costly. President Donald Trump has painted himself as a friend of the industry, and the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, is a former coal industry lobbyist.
Emily Holden, an environment reporter for The Guardian US, discusses what the rule change could mean for communities based near coal plants.
Check out our ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this segment. Don't have time to listen right now? Subscribe for free to our podcast via iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts to take this segment with you on the go.
Want to comment on this story? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram.