The Trump Administration Wants to Change Public Engagement Rules for Polluters

The EPA has proposed a rule change that would let states decide how much input the public has on air pollution permits. It would be a huge boon for data centers increasingly reliant on fossil fuels. The Trump administration is quietly considering a rule change that could make it easier for polluters to build facilities--including certain gas plants and diesel generators that power data centers--with little to no notice to the public. On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on a proposed rule change that would hand the power to states to decide how the public participates in the permitting process for certain new sources of air pollution. The proposed rollback comes as data centers face greater pushback across the US, with many communities using the permitting process to try to slow down development.