Brian Willis, Brian.Willis@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Westmoreland Mining Holdings sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court last Friday, after the Trump administration recently finalized changes that weaken the standards' legal underpinnings. Environmental lawyers, public health advocates, and utility groups warned that the Trump administration’s changes could lead to a court challenge seeking to overturn the rule - despite EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s assertion that EPA’s decision posed no threat to the standards.
In response, Jonathan Levenshus, Sierra Club’s Director of Federal Campaigns for the Beyond Coal campaign, released the following statement:
“This is the, ‘I told you so’, moment that dozens of lawyers, policy experts, and utility executives warned the public about when the Trump administration began its changes to the legal underpinnings of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
“Despite Andrew Wheeler’s charade about ‘no more mercury will be emitted into the air than before’, Westmoreland’s lawsuit is exactly the legal challenge his decision invites. We told you so. Regardless, we stood ready to defend the life-saving mercury standards then, and we stand ready to defend it now.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.