Mercury. Arsenic. Lead. Acid gases. Lethal Particulates. These are just some of the byproducts of coal-fired power plants — the pollutants that can fill our air, then our lungs, and cause brain damage or bring our lives to a tragically early end.

For nearly a decade, Americans have been protected from these pollutants, thanks to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) — which have cut mercury pollution from power plants by more than 80%.

It’s just one of the incredible victories we’ve achieved that will protect our communities for generations to come – but yesterday evening, the Trump administration finalized a major weakening of these life-saving standards.

Make an emergency donation to give our team of attorneys and legal researchers the resources they need to overturn this dangerous rollback.

EDF has been preparing for – and opposing -- this damaging action by the Trump administration since the 2016 presidential election and we will forcefully litigate to block it. Here’s what we know so far:

1. Their plan could let coal plants poison people again. Mercury causes brain damage in babies. Arsenic, chromium, and nickel can cause cancer. Lead damages developing nervous systems in children and acid gases cause serious lung disease. Any weakening of these protections puts the American public at risk of breathing in literal poison.
2. It will mean more death and disease. These standards are currently saving up to 11,000 lives while preventing 4,700 heart attacks thousands of asthma attacks every single year. This has a staggering impact on healthcare costs, as the economic benefits of the standards are as high as $90 billion each year, outweighing the costs by up to a margin of 9-to-1.
3. It goes against public opinion. States, mayors, public health groups, medical associations, faith groups, small business groups, moms, scientists, sportsmen, the NAACP, Voces Verdes, power companies, labor leaders, and members of Congress from both parties have called on the Trump Administration to back off this attack.