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EPA Reverses on West Virginia Pollution Plan, Sparks Legal Challenges

3/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Environmental Protection Agency reversed its stance on West Virginia's pollution plan after rejecting it for lacking coal-plant evaluations.
The plan had been approved under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who argued that meeting visibility benchmarks sufficed.
Environmental groups say the reversal undermines air quality protections in national parks.
The EPA faces legal challenges in Colorado and Hawaii, where plant closures were rejected over energy-supply concerns.

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Story summary

The Environmental Protection Agency reversed its stance on West Virginia's pollution plan after rejecting it for lacking coal-plant evaluations.
The plan had been approved under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who argued that meeting visibility benchmarks sufficed.
Environmental groups say the reversal undermines air quality protections in national parks.
The EPA faces legal challenges in Colorado and Hawaii, where plant closures were rejected over energy-supply concerns.