US States and Cities Sue Over Trump EPA's Repeal of Emissions Rules

Twenty-one states and several major cities filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Trump administration. They are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to remove rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. These plants burn coal and natural gas, which release pollution that warms the planet. The group is led by New York and also includes Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, and the city and county of Denver.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing a "callous disregard" for the health of Americans and for the environment. She warned that future generations will suffer because of this decision. James said removing these protections is "a betrayal of American families" and that the stakes are too high to allow profits to come before people. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are one of the biggest sources of planet-warming pollution.

The EPA announced last month that it was canceling a rule created during President Biden's time in office. The agency also said it is working on a separate plan that could stop future administrations from making new rules to limit climate pollution from power plants. The EPA said it does not comment on active lawsuits. However, when it announced the repeal, it said the change would save the energy industry more than $300 billion in costs.

The coalition is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA's decision and strike down the repeal. The group argues that the EPA broke the law by dropping the pollution limits without seriously considering other options. They say the agency ignored the huge health and climate costs of allowing more pollution into the air. They also plan to file a second lawsuit over the EPA's failure to regulate pollution from many gas-powered plants.

This lawsuit comes as the Supreme Court gets ready to hear another major climate case. The city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are suing oil and gas companies to make them help pay for damage linked to climate change. That case is part of a growing wave of climate lawsuits in the U.S. and around the world. The Supreme Court is set to hear the Boulder case on Monday, the first day of its new term.

The repeal of the power plant rules is a major change from the climate policies of former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Both leaders had worked to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap the sun's heat and warm the planet. Environmental groups say that without these rules, Americans will face more health risks and the environment will get worse. The states in the coalition stretch from New York and California to Michigan, Washington, and many others across the country.