"Advocates Oppose EPA's Delay Of Coal Plant Pollution Limits"

"WASHINGTON — Environmental advocates urged the Trump administration on Monday to reverse course on its move to set aside an Obama-era measure limiting water pollution from coal-fired power plants.

About 50 people spoke during a public hearing to voice their strong opposition to Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt's decision to delay implementation of a 2015 rule setting tighter guidelines for power plant wastewater piped into rivers and lakes that often serve as sources of public drinking water. The coal waste contains traces amounts of highly toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury and selenium.

Pruitt was acting at the behest of electric utilities who petitioned him earlier this year to redraft the rule, which they claim is too costly and burdensome. The decision leaves EPA's guidelines from 1982 in effect, standards set when far less was known about the detrimental impacts of even tiny levels of heavy metals on human health and aquatic life."

Michael Biesecker reports for the Associated Press July 31, 2017.