The idea of dense fog, even gritty fog, may fit the idea of Halloween. Even walking through scary sludge might add to the ambiance. But it doesn’t work so well the rest of the year.

Rolling Back Environmental Regulations

According to an analysis by the New York Times, the Trump administration so far has eliminated or marked for elimination more than 80 environmental regulations. The Times’ data was gleaned from many sources, including the Harvard and Columbia University law schools.

Dangerous Heavy Metals

And perhaps the biggest whammy is coming in November. That is a rollback of an Obama-era regulation to limit dangerous heavy metal emissions from coal-fired power plants, according to the Times. These include metals like arsenic, lead and mercury. This is a move environmentalists fear could lead to health problems caused by contaminated drinking water, including birth defects, cancer and stunted brain development in young children.

Extending Life of Old Coal-Fired Plants

The move is designed to extend the life of old coal-fired power plants. This fits into the president’s promise to revive the coal industry, even though many experts say other forms of energy are safer and less expensive. These could include natural gas and renewable energy. Even market forces bolster coal’s decline. And scientific evidence mounts about the need to reduce fossil fuel to avert catastrophic climate change.

Not Just Air Pollution

While the thought of coal-fired plants brings to mind air pollution, that isn’t the only issue. Each year, the coal-fired plants produce about 130 million tons of coal ash, which the Times’ Lisa Friedman said is stored at about 1,100 sites around the country.

Spills and Leaks

In recent times leaks from these sites have polluted rivers, endangered wildlife and brought national attention to the problem. In 2008 a containment pond ruptured at the Kingston Fossil Plant, spilling 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry into nearby rivers. Several dozen homes were destroyed. And lawsuits still remain over the people injured or made ill from the impact of the pollution that came swarming around them.

North Carolina’s Dan River

More recently, in 2014, a broken pipe spilled millions of gallons of liquified coal ash into North Carolina’s Dan River. The water turned into a dark sludge and threatened the area’s drinking water. The local utility responsible paid a $6 million fine for violating water protection laws. The spill caused North Carolina to pass legislation requiring the closure of all such ponds by 2029.

1.1 Million Americans Live Near These Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency says about 1.1 million Americans live within three miles of a coal plant that discharges pollutants into a public waterway. And the Obama-era regulation would have required these plants to invest in new technology to make the plants’ discharge safer.

But the Rules Cost Money

But those regulations would cost the coal plants money, some $28 million to $31 million annually. And Trump earlier gave them a reprieve for compliance until 2020. Now the rules may be relaxed even more.

Environmental Groups Challenging the Moves

A recent study by environmental groups found that more than 90 percent of the 265 coal plants required to test their groundwater near the ash dumps discovered unsafe levels of at least one contaminant. Those groups contend that coal-fired power plants discharge more than 1 billion pounds of pollutants every year into 4,000 miles of rivers. These contaminate drinking water and fisheries of 2.7 million people.

Environmental Protection Agency??

But it appears that rather than protecting the environment, our EPA under President Trump is heading in another direction. I suppose the utility companies are happy. But they may not be when another Kingston or Dan River happens, resulting in catastrophe for the families involved and lawsuits directed at utilities.