“In the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Trump said: “I want crystal clean water and air. I want beautiful clean air.” But his administration has done a lot more to cloud the air with pollutants than to protect it.
A number of new policies may be driving the trend. Under the current administration, polluters can now dodge legal punishment by agreeing to stop their violations. Jeff Ruch, director of the Pacific chapter of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, adds that the Trump administration has granted power to state officials to veto prosecuting polluters. A state may feel pressured to do so for numerous reasons, including to protect an industry from prosecution if it employs a lot of people.”