Trump's EPA is gutting coal ash disposal rules. What that means in practice: weaker groundwater monitoring near coal ash sites, no requirement to clean up entire coal properties, and an easier path to "reuse" toxic ash. Coal ash contains arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium. It contaminates groundwater. This is not a gray area. Lee Zeldin called it a "commitment to restoring American energy dominance." That's the official line for giving Big Coal a free pass to poison communities. "The Trump administration just took a sledgehammer to the health protections in place for toxic coal pollution," said Lisa Evans, senior counsel at Earthjustice. "This is yet another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets." The rules being gutted were tightened under Biden. So yes, this is deliberate. Not accidental. Not bureaucratic drift. A choice, made for donors.