Trump Weakens Obama-Era Rule On Coal Plant Pollution

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – The Trump administration has weakened an Obama-era rule aimed at reducing coal plant pollution that contaminates streams, lakes and underground aquifers. The changes finalized Monday will allow utilities to use cheaper wastewater cleanup technologies and take longer to comply with pollution reduction guidelines adopted in 2015. It’s the latest in a string of regulatory rollbacks for the coal power industry under Trump. The Environmental Protection Agency says it will save companies $140 million annually. But environmentalists say the move will harm public health and result in hundreds of thousands of pounds of pollutants annually contaminating water bodies.