Trump to relax emissions rules for states

The Trump administration proposed new rules Tuesday that would roll back Obama-era constraints on coal-fired power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency would direct states to focus on making coal power plants more efficient and allow them to develop their own emissions reduction plans with federal oversight. Critics say the rules would allow utilities to run older, dirtier power plants more often and extend the plants’ overall operating life, undercutting potential environmental benefits. President Barack Obama aimed to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 by dictating specific emission targets for states. The U.S. Supreme Court put the plan on hold in 2016 following a legal challenge by industry and coal-friendly states, an order that remains in effect. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal before it is finalized.