President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Oct. 24 aimed at reversing a Biden-era environmental rule that enforced stricter air emission standards on copper smelters.
The proclamation grants local copper smelters a two-year exemption from compliance with the 2024 rule that had required them to cut emissions of hazardous air pollutants like lead, arsenic, and mercury.
In a fact sheet, Trump described the Biden-era emission standards on copper smelters as “overly restrictive,” noting that it could undermine U.S. mineral and metal supply chains.
The president noted that the regulatory relief would help cut U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains and secure the nation’s mineral security….