A factory complex emits pollutioni through several smokestacks with hazy skies in background.

US Senate votes to ease regulations on toxic air pollution from industry

In a historic rollback of Clean Air Act protections, the U.S. Senate voted to let polluters off the hook for controlling the most dangerous air pollutants, with the House of Representatives and President Trump expected to follow suit.

Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

The Senate voted 52-46 to overturn a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that required constant pollution controls for seven of the most dangerous airborne toxins, including mercury and dioxins.
The rule, which President Biden finalized last year, had forced over 1,800 industrial sites to clean up emissions that cause cancer, brain damage, and other serious illnesses.
If the House votes to overturn the rule and Trump signs it, this will mark the first time in the Clean Air Act’s 55-year history that Congress has rolled back protections under the law.

Key quote:

“Repealing this rule would be such a giveaway to corporate polluters. These facilities could increase their toxic pollution without any accountability or oversight.”

— Nathan Park, an associate legislative representative at Earthjustice

Why this matters:

Proponents of overturning the rule say it is burdensome to business. But the action would weaken protections for low-income communities and communities of color living near industrial plants — places that are often already burdened by high cancer rates and toxic exposure. Taking action to scale back Clean Air Act protections is a first for Congress, and a victory for the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries that had lobbied to overturn the regulation.

California mining company turns to solar heat but can’t quit coal just yet

In California’s Mojave Desert, a mining plant is turning to solar thermal energy to replace one of its coal-fired generators, but a second unit may run for years due to the intense heat and 24-hour power it needs.

Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times.

In short:

Searles Valley Minerals, a mining company in Trona, Calif., is replacing one of its two coal plants with a solar thermal system but says the other may need to stay online for the foreseeable future due to operational demands.
The company will use a concentrating solar power system from start-up GlassPoint, which uses mirrors to generate high heat, a solution that works well in hot, sunny areas but requires a large land footprint and remains rare in the U.S.
Despite California’s push to phase out coal and President Trump’s efforts to revive it, economic and geographic constraints continue to complicate full industrial transitions away from fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“We just think coal is going to be a problem. We’re going to have a hard time sourcing it. We need to be ready to pivot.”

— Dennis Cruise, president of Searles Valley Minerals

Why this matters:

Industrial heat — the kind used in mining, chemical production, and heavy manufacturing — accounts for about half of global energy use, yet it’s rarely mentioned in public climate debates. Unlike home heating or car travel, generating this level of heat without fossil fuels is still tough. Most renewable energy technologies don’t deliver the extreme, continuous heat these facilities need. That leaves industries like the one in Trona stuck with coal, even as it becomes harder to source and politically unpopular. As the U.S. attempts to decarbonize, industrial energy needs present one of the biggest hurdles.

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