Trump Administration Granted Thousands of Environmental Waivers Amid Pandemic

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed that the Trump administration granted over 3,000 environmental waivers to industrial facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to bypass toxic emission regulations. The AP reporters spent two months collecting data from state regulators after the administration announced its clemency on March 26. Critics, including former EPA officials, described the move as a "license to pollute," while the EPA maintained that the rollback did not authorize increased pollution. Companies like Marathon Petroleum and Saint-Gobain sought and received exemptions, citing pandemic-related reasons.