Federal Decision Could Devastate New York, Cause Health Issues

New York’s environmental chief just warned that the federal government’s latest rollback could undo years of progress and put families across the state in danger.

New York’s environmental chief, DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, is sounding the alarm on the EPA’s latest rollback of power‑plant pollution rules.

Negative Impact On New York State

Lefton says the latest move will have a "negative" impact on New York State.

"The federal government’s latest step to gut effective air pollution limits proven to protect the health, environment, and well-being of communities will have direct and negative impacts on New Yorkers," Lefton said in a statement.

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Lefton says New York State delivered on cuts in mercury emissions and other hazardous pollutants from power plants.

She says this "drove the remarkable recovery" of lakes and rivers across the state.

What The EPA Wants

The EPA wants to repeal greenhouse‑gas emission standards for coal and gas-fired power plants, weaken mercury and air toxics standards while rolling back Biden-era protections.

Officials say these moves will save $1 billion each year.

Pollutants Don't Have Borders

Lefton reminds us that pollutants don’t care about borders.

"Air pollution does not recognize state borders. The potentially harmful actions other states may take following the repeal of these federal regulations is a real threat to public health," Lefton added.

See More: Upstate New York Home To World's Cleanest, Most Beautiful Lake

New York State officials plan to fight back, standing firm to protect clean air gains and protect New York families.

Officials say if these rollbacks become law, expect more extreme weather, more health issues, and much more.

Keep Reading: Costco To Replace Ghost Neighborhood In Upstate New York

"When combined with prior federal rollbacks that will contribute further to extreme heat, flooding, and other climate change impacts, EPA's refusal to evaluate the combined effects of greenhouse gas pollutants will hurt our most vulnerable communities and undercut the significant progress being made by New York and other states," Lefton stated.

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