Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced on Mar. 31 that she has joined a coalition of 21 states and local governments in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the decision to revert to older standards, which critics say threaten public health and environmental safety.
The case highlights concerns over increased emissions of toxic air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. These pollutants include mercury, arsenic, lead, other toxic metals, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde. The Environmental Protection Agency updated these standards in 2024 after advances in pollution control technology but recently rolled them back.
“Vermonters deserve to be protected from toxic pollutants, but the Trump Administration has abdicated the EPA’s responsibility to provide this protection,” said Attorney General Clark. “With today’s lawsuit, I’m standing up for human health, our environment, and the rule of law.”
The complaint argues that mercury is a potent neurotoxin with serious risks for pregnant women and children—including lifelong developmental harms—and increases risk for cardiovascular disease and other disorders in adults. Emissions can travel across state lines, affecting communities far from their source. Mercury contamination also threatens fishing economies and indigenous peoples who rely on waterways for subsistence.
Clark said that the coalition believes the EPA failed to provide adequate justification or consider technological developments when repealing the updated MATS Rule. The attorneys general are asking the court to declare this action unlawful.
This marks Attorney General Clark’s forty-seventh legal challenge against actions taken by President Trump’s administration since January 2025.
