The executive order creates an exemption from the EPA’s MATS rule for certain stationary sources of mercury pollution. The rule is intended to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, from coal-fired power plants and other industrial facilities. The order grants a two-year extension to these facilities beyond the original compliance date of July 8, 2027, allowing them to continue operating without meeting the stricter emissions standards set by the MATS rule.
The president cites several reasons for issuing this exemption: first, that such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form; second, that it is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this exemption due to its impact on the electricity grid and energy security; and third, that the order would help protect American coal-fired power plants from shutting down.
Overall, the order seeks to provide regulatory relief for certain stationary sources of mercury pollution while also promoting American energy independence and national security.
Read the full text of the order at the whitehouse.gov website.