The top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has launched a long-shot effort to prevent the Trump administration from delaying new wastewater rules for coal plants.
The resolution from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) under the Congressional Review Act seeks to repeal a recent EPA policy giving coal plants a break from tougher water pollution requirements.
Finalized in December, EPA’s rule gives plant owners five more years to cut back on the flow of wastewater containing mercury, arsenic and other harmful pollutants.
Whitehouse has previously sought to use the Congressional Review Act to block the Trump administration’s rollback of air pollution rules. His earlier attempts have failed in the Republican-controlled Senate, and the latest resolution may face the same fate. Even if Whitehouse can find enough Republicans to support his effort, the president would veto the legislation.
