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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration invited companies to email the Environmental Protection Agency to seek presidential exemptions from nine clean-air regulations, including mercury limits for power plants and limits on hazardous air pollutants in plastic production by March 31, the latest use of rarely used measure aimed at lifting burdens for business.
The EPA said the exemption offer was aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump's goal of slashing red tape involved in energy production and comes just days after the agency said it would roll back more than two dozen bedrock and water regulations as well as Biden-era climate rules.
The president declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office and directed the heads of federal agencies to identify and use emergency authorities available to them to hasten energy development and production.
The EPA set up an email address - - for companies to make their exemption requests by stating which emissions standards they seek to avoid, the length of the desired exemption and a justification for the request, including a lack of available technology and that it poses a national security threat.
The agency said the request could be extended by two years.
The use of presidential exemptions is rare, and has previously been granted through a public process.
The Trump administration has taken several high-profile steps to not only roll back the previous administration's regulations but use extraordinary measures such as moving to fast-track major energy infrastructure projects requiring federal wetlands permits.
Trump last week also invoked emergency powers to boost domestic production of critical minerals used across the economy as part of a broad effort to offset China's control of the sector.
Among the other EPA rules eligible for an exemption include emissions standards for rubber tire production, smelters and integrated steel and iron manufacturing facilities.
Environmental Defense Fund’s general counsel, Vickie Patton, said the use of this measure was improper.
“This is a Trump EPA-led effort to evade established limits on toxic pollution that protect millions of people across the U.S,” she said.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Alistair Bell)
