Trump Administration Guts West Virginians’ Health Protections to Bolster Big Coal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Today, Donald Trump's administration took direct aim at the health and lives of hundreds of American communities, announcing plans to gut critical protections against deadly coal ash pollution - one of the most toxic industrial waste streams in the country.

Coal ash contains a toxic brew of mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic, which can cause cancer, neurological damage, and various other serious illnesses.

In 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency finally established the nation's first-ever coal ash pollution standards, implementing long overdue protections for communities against toxic coal ash in their water. In 2024, the EPA built on that foundation, closing loopholes and strengthening safeguards for the most vulnerable communities. Today's announcement erases more than a decade of progress, leaving millions of Americans - including several West Virginia communities already facing poor water quality - exposed to preventable, life-threatening harm.

In response, Lisa Di Bartolomeo, West Virginia's Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer, issued the following statement:

"Today's announcement presents a grave threat to the West Virginians' health, local waterways, and ecosystems. Coal ash contamination reaches far and wide - negatively impacting the quality of our ground water, air, and soil. Prolonged exposure to coal ash is making West Virginians sicker. Contamination from coal ash's blend of 17 toxic metals reaches every major organ system of the body, causing physical and emotional pain, as well as a heavy financial toll. We cannot allow for weak coal ash enforcement and continued corporate irresponsibility. Stringent standards and strong enforcement ensure compliance, weakening standards or delaying enforcement do not."

Sierra Club Senior Attorney Bridget Lee added:

"It should come as no surprise that Donald Trump and his administration will sacrifice the health of Americans in order to line the pockets of corporate polluters. Today's proposal doesn't even try to hide the fact that it's an explicit handout to Big Coal.

"Coal ash pollution has already cut too many American lives short. Our government should be strengthening safeguards against this toxic threat; instead, Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are taking a sledgehammer to them. We will fight back against this reckless and illegal move and work to deliver a healthier future for the people who drink the water and breathe the air near coal ash dumps."