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Beyer: “Trump Is Using This Pandemic As Cover To Allow More Air Pollution”

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Task Force on Climate Change, issued the following statement today on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to weaken rules governing emissions of mercury and other toxic chemicals from power plants:

“It’s hard to imagine a more disgraceful abuse of the EPA’s mission than increasing the amount of toxic chemicals at this of all times,” said Beyer. “But the disgusting truth is that Trump is using this pandemic as cover to allow more air pollution from power plants, something his administration has long wanted to do. Once again they have chosen to make our air less clean at the apex of a disease that attacks our ability to breathe in order to benefit polluters. It’s a truly outrageous abuse of public trust.”