WA joins coalition challenging rollback of limits on mercury emissions and other pollutants from power plants

# Washington Leads Legal Challenge Against EPA Rollback of Pollution Standards

Washington state and a multistate coalition filed a federal lawsuit on March 31, 2026, challenging the EPA's decision to repeal stricter emission standards for toxic air pollutants from power plants. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule, established in 2012, limited emissions of mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxic metals from coal- and oil-fired power plants. The EPA updated these standards in 2024 following pollution control technology improvements, but last month reverted to the original 2012 standards, allowing increased emissions of hazardous air pollutants.

Attorney General Nick Brown stated the rollback jeopardizes public health and environmental protection across Washington. Mercury exposure poses serious risks to pregnant women and children, potentially causing developmental harm, neurological disorders, vision and hearing loss, and delayed development. In adults, mercury increases cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune dysfunction risks. The pollutants can travel across state lines and contaminate waterways, affecting fishing economies and tribal nations.

The lawsuit comes as Washington faces an additional environmental challenge: the TransAlta coal-fired power plant in Centralia was scheduled for closure at the end of 2025, but the Department of Energy ordered it to remain operational citing an energy emergency. Washington is separately challenging that action in court. The state argues the EPA's repeal lacks adequate legal justification and failed to consider recent technology developments.