Trump Administration Formally Proposes Repeal of Bedrock Greenhouse Gas Standards, Sells Out Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa- Today, the Trump Administration issued a proposalby the Environmental Protection Agency to repeal the agency's Clean Air Act Section 111 carbon pollution standards, which limit climate-disrupting greenhouse gas emissions from gas- and coal-fired power plants. This comes as Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have proposed to end over 30 provisionsin place to limit pollution and protect the health of Americans.

According to the Sierra Club's estimates in the Trump Coal Pollution Dashboard, repealing the Section 111 carbon pollution standards would allow Iowa utilities to release 26,059,699 tons of carbon emissions. That would have been an 86 percent total reduction in carbon dioxide emissions if the rule were implemented. Over 9,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide would have been reduced at MidAmerican's Walter Scott plant alone, which is located in Council Bluffs where the utility plans to operate the plant until 2049.

The proposal falsely claims that power plants "do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution." In fact, the power sector is the largest stationary source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and releases more climate pollution than over half of all the world's countries combined. These pollutants also lead to higher risk of heart disease, stroke, asthma and other respiratory diseases, pregnancy complications, and cancer.

The proposed repeals will now face a public comment period.

In response, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Director Pamela Mackey Taylor issued the following statement:

"The Trump Administration continues to put the American people at risk by stripping away environmental safeguards proven to clean up the air we breathe and improve public health. From Sioux City to Muscatine, Iowans endure pollution and the health impacts from MidAmerican's coal plants across the state. During the public comment period, we will continue to fight for clean air and protect our communities being harmed by Trump's shortsighted actions. But we also need MidAmerican to do right by Iowans and go above and beyond the bare minimum set by Trump and the EPA."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.