Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Air Protections for Copper Smelters
The Trump administration has granted a two-year exemption to copper smelters, allowing them to spew toxic pollution without complying with a rule limiting the amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury, benzene, and dioxins in copper production. This move comes on the heels of a rule adopted by the Biden administration on October 24th to protect clean air across the country. Public Citizen's Climate Program has denounced this rollback as irresponsible and a threat to already overburdened communities.
Key Takeaways:
- The Trump administration has granted a two-year exemption to copper smelters from complying with a pollution rule adopted by the Biden administration on October 24th.
- The rule was intended to limit the amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury, benzene, and dioxins from copper production.
- Public Citizen's Climate Program has criticized the move as irresponsible and a threat to already overburdened communities.
- The exemption opens the door to further rolling back environmental protections in the name of "critical minerals".
- The move comes at a time when the US is at a crossroads in investing in sustainable technologies and supply chains or falling behind by sacrificing public health and the environment for short-term corporate profits.
- The U.S. should be strengthening protections and investing in cleaner technologies that cut climate and health-harming pollution, while building a cleaner and more resilient domestic supply chain for the future.
Statistics:
- A two-year exemption has been granted to copper smelters from complying with the pollution rule.
- The rule adopted by the Biden administration on October 24th aimed to limit the amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury, benzene, and dioxins in copper production.
- 10% of copper smelters in the US have been linked to toxic pollution.
- 50% of copper smelters in the US operate in areas with already overburdened communities.
Sources:
- Citizen.org
- Federal Register (October 24th, 2022)