Trump has exempted more than 50 chemical manufacturers and oil refineries from requirements to cut emissions of toxic chemicals, including ethylene oxide (used to make polyester) and another cancer-linked chemical, chloroprene (used to make synthetic rubber).
Many of these polluters operate in areas populated predominantly by poor and or black communities. The new requirements were expected to reduce cancer risks of people living within 6 miles of a chemical plant by 96 percent. Not anymore.
This is just one of many steps already taken by Trump to reverse ‘restrictive environmental regulations undermine America’s energy reliability, economic vitality, and national security,’ according to the White House.
The American Chemistry Council was quick to issue a press release welcoming this development. ‘This action is a key step forward to necessary relief from several concerning parts of the Biden administration’s rule, which required significant capital expenditures.’ Wow, what a relief ‘significant capital expenditures’ have been avoided,d and we can all carry on breathing in the chemical soup – especially if you happen to live within 6 miles of a plastic production facility.
In another breathtaking move, Trump has dropped a 2023 Biden administration-led lawsuit against Denka Performance Elastomer to get it to cut down its emissions of chloroprene. The EPA claimed, ‘Denka emits chloroprene at levels that are producing unacceptably high risks of cancer to the people, including children, that are regularly exposed to the Facility’s emissions.’ Hundreds of children attend school near the Facility and currently breathe the air there.’ Now these children will carry on breathing unacceptable levels of chemicals known to cause cancer – WTF?!