President Trump’s Soot-Stained Coal Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The coal industry, the nation’s dirtiest source of power, is set to present President Donald Trump with an award today, at the same time his administration is providing new bailouts for old, inefficient coal-fired power plants and directing the military to buy more power from coal plants, according to news reports.

The actions on coal come the day before the Environmental Protection Agency is set to repeal the 2009 finding that climate pollution is a threat to public health and welfare. That finding is core to EPA’s efforts to address climate pollution. While it is propping up the dirtiest fuel, the administration has also led a full-on attack against clean energy projects.

The following is a statement from Manish Bapna, president and CEO of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“The 19th century called, and it wants its fuel source back. While Americans are demanding clean, affordable energy, the Trump administration is using our tax dollars to prop up the nation’s dirtiest, least efficient power plants.

“It’s no wonder fossil fuel lobbyists are handing Trump an award today. Trump asked them for campaign cash and promised to return the favor—and now he is. The rest of us are left to pay the price: more heart disease and asthma attacks, higher utility bills, and more frequent unnatural disasters. This is a raw deal for our wallets, our health, and our future.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).