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Anything related to air quality, air pollution, or the atmosphere

EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [1]

The enforcement of environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year, several studies have found. Even the most serious violations, typically referred to the Department of Justice, are left unpursued because of DOJ staffing declines. The latest Backgrounder has the details, a look at the administration’s rationale for the decline and the implications for the environment and public health.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility: 
Public [19]
  • Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [1]

"E.P.A. Plans to Loosen Mercury Rules for Coal Plants, Documents Show" [20]

"The Environmental Protection Agency plans this week to loosen restrictions on coal-burning power plants, allowing them to emit more hazardous pollutants including mercury, a powerful neurotoxin that can impair babies’ brain development, internal agency documents show."

Air [3]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: NYTimes [22], 02/20/2026
  • Read more about "E.P.A. Plans to Loosen Mercury Rules for Coal Plants, Documents Show" [20]

Thermal Drone Footage Shows Musk's AI Power Plant Flouting Clean Air Rules [23]

"Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company is continuing to fuel its data centers with unpermitted gas turbines, according to a Floodlight visual investigation. Thermal drone footage shows xAI is still burning gas at a facility in Southaven, Miss., despite a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling reiterating that doing so requires a state permit in advance."

Air [3]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Infrastructure [24]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Technology [25]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: Floodlight [27], 02/18/2026
  • Read more about Thermal Drone Footage Shows Musk's AI Power Plant Flouting Clean Air Rules [23]

Senate Dems Say Trump EPA Curries Corporate Favor By Weakening Air Rules [28]

"Ozone and particulate matter air pollutants cause over 100,000 premature deaths per year and affect the health of millions of Americans. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said last month that his agency would stop considering those costs when drafting new regulations."

Air [3]
Consumer [29]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [30]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Public [19]
Source: Inside Climate News [31], 02/18/2026
  • Read more about Senate Dems Say Trump EPA Curries Corporate Favor By Weakening Air Rules [28]

"Black Residents Win Key Ruling in ‘Cancer Alley’ Environmental Racism Case" [32]

"Lawyers for residents say that zoning that concentrates pollution in Black districts is a violation of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery."

Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [29]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [30]
Laws & Regulations [13]
People & Population [33]
Pollution [15]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: Capital B [34], 02/13/2026
  • Read more about "Black Residents Win Key Ruling in ‘Cancer Alley’ Environmental Racism Case" [32]

Citing National Security, Trump Kills Fenceline Monitoring at Coke Ovens [35]

"The administration ended a program that documented excessive levels of a carcinogen at industrial facilities across the country. Environmental groups who say the move leaves polluted communities behind have filed suit."

Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
People & Population [33]
Pollution [15]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: Inside Climate News [36], 02/12/2026
  • Read more about Citing National Security, Trump Kills Fenceline Monitoring at Coke Ovens [35]

Geopolitical Tensions Cloud Major Climate Threat Of Black Carbon In Arctic [37]

"The increase in marine Arctic traffic, which received increased attention as U.S. President Donald Trump pushed for the United States to take over Greenland, has come with a heavy environmental cost: black carbon, or soot, that spews from ships and makes the ice melt even faster. "

Air [3]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Pollution [15]
Water & Oceans [17]
Public [19]
International [38]
Antarctica & Arctic [39]
Source: AP [40], 02/11/2026
  • Read more about Geopolitical Tensions Cloud Major Climate Threat Of Black Carbon In Arctic [37]

TVA Says It Now Doesn’t Want To Close Two Coal-Fired Plants [41]

"The nation’s largest public utility says it now would prefer to keep operating two coal-fired power plants it had planned to shutter, changing course before a meeting of its board, which has a majority of members picked by the coal-friendly Trump administration."

Air [3]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Infrastructure [24]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Technology [25]
Waste [16]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: AP [42], 02/11/2026
  • Read more about TVA Says It Now Doesn’t Want To Close Two Coal-Fired Plants [41]

"EPA To Delay Enforcement Of Life-Saving Air Pollution Rule" [43]

"EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin could delay enforcement of an air pollution standard projected to save thousands of lives while the agency awaits a pivotal court ruling, a spokesperson indicated Monday." "The agency missed a Saturday deadline to determine which parts of the country are flunking the tightened 2024 rule for soot exposure."

Air [3]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [30]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [13]
People & Population [33]
Pollution [15]
Public [19]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: E&E News [44], 02/10/2026
  • Read more about "EPA To Delay Enforcement Of Life-Saving Air Pollution Rule" [43]

Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [45]

They’re a carbon sink, a playground and a major market, but also a source of smoke pollution and pest infestation. Millions of acres of Canadian forest are a big North American story, and the latest Reporter’s Toolbox points you to a central data source that can help quantify, analyze and visualize the numbers and see the proverbial forest for the trees.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [46]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [47]
Air [3]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Forests [48]
Natural Resources [49]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [18]
International [38]
Canada [50]
Visibility: 
Public [19]
  • Read more about Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [45]

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/epa-enforcement-falls-record-low-under-trump-20 [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/backgrounders [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [18] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [19] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [20] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-plans-loosen-mercury-rules-coal-plants-documents-show [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [22] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/climate/epa-mercury-coal-plants.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NlA.tWIy.5lqVeixfdF1r&smid=url-share [23] https://www.sej.org/headlines/thermal-drone-footage-shows-musks-ai-power-plant-flouting-clean-air-rules [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [27] https://floodlightnews.org/thermal-drone-footage-musk-ai-plant-epa-rules/ [28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/senate-dems-say-trump-epa-curries-corporate-favor-weakening-air-rules [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [31] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17022026/trump-epa-weakens-air-pollution-standards/ [32] https://www.sej.org/headlines/black-residents-win-key-ruling-cancer-alley-environmental-racism-case [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [34] https://capitalbnews.org/cancer-alley-residents-pollution-lawsuit/ [35] https://www.sej.org/headlines/citing-national-security-trump-kills-fenceline-monitoring-coke-ovens [36] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11022026/trump-administration-ends-coke-fenceline-monitoring/ [37] https://www.sej.org/headlines/geopolitical-tensions-cloud-major-climate-threat-black-carbon-arctic [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [39] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/antarctica-arctic [40] https://apnews.com/article/arctic-trump-black-carbon-climate-change-5b31ca78b23b11d56e9b715c9d4c6c09 [41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/tva-says-it-now-doesn-t-want-close-two-coal-fired-plants [42] https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-valley-authority-coal-plants-7a3bae83090e802a6036c1dcc37fa0a1 [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-delay-enforcement-life-saving-air-pollution-rule [44] https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-to-delay-enforcement-of-life-saving-air-pollution-rule/ [45] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/database-details-planetary-asset-canada-s-forests [46] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [50] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=8 [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=5 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=6 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=7 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=10 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=11 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=12 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=13 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air?page=215