The Trump administration plans to loosen restrictions on coal-burning power plants this week, allowing them to emit more hazardous pollutants including mercury, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Senior U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to announce the move during a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, the paper said.
In loosening the limits on mercury, a powerful neurotoxin that can impair babies' brain development, the EPA is arguing it would reduce "unwarranted costs" for utilities that own and operate coal plants across the country, the Times reported, citing internal agency documents.