Environmental “Protection” Agency
Won’t Consider Health Impacts of Pollution
Sierra Club Insider

(January 13, 2026) — The New York Times reported yesterday that Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency will stop calculating the human health impacts of air and water quality standards. Instead, the agency will reportedly only calculate industry costs.

Between 1999 and 2020, air pollution from coal-fired power plants killed nearly half a million Americans. This move is yet another example of Trump and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin putting corporate polluters’ profits over people’s lives. Since Trump took office last year, we’ve been actively fighting his bad policies at every turn — and we will keep fighting this and every other environmental attack.

As we gear up for the year ahead, we want to say thank you for being part of the Sierra Club community. Your support is vital to our work protecting public health, preserving public lands, and building a brighter future.

RSVP: It’s Time to Make Polluters Pay

The Trump regime isn’t even trying to hide its plans to help corporate polluters make more money at the cost of our lives and our wallets. We’re struggling to pay our grocery, medical, and utility bills, while oil and gas CEOs make billions at our expense. It’s not right, and it doesn’t have to be this way! New York and Vermont have already passed groundbreaking laws to hold the fossil fuel industry financially responsible for its role in the climate crisis.

ACTION: Are you ready to Make Polluters Pay? Join us at a Virtual Action Hour on January 15 to learn more.

Cleaner Car Standards Are Working.
Do NOT Roll Back Progress!

One of Trump’s latest giveaways to his Big Oil donors and auto executives is currently underway. He wants to roll back the cost-saving standards that make our cars go farther on a gallon of fuel and drive down air pollution in our communities.

ACTION: Tell the Department of Transportation to protect our wallets and health from this harmful attack on fuel economy standards!

Clean Energy Is the Key to Lower Bills

This winter, we’re watching our heating costs skyrocket along with grocery prices and medical bills. But while the Trump administration sides with fossil fuel companies and drives up costs, clean energy is proving it can power the world affordably and reliably. In fact, over 90 percent of new solar and wind is cheaper than fossil fuels.

ACTION: Tell the administration to stop blocking clean energy and start putting families first.

Protect Our Oceans From Offshore Drilling

On top of everything else, our oceans are under attack too. A plan proposed by the Trump administration would expand offshore drilling, opening up coastal waters that haven’t been leased in decades. This is part of Trump’s mission to sell our lands, waters, and public resources to the highest bidder.

ACTION: If you haven’t already, help stop this plan by submitting a comment before January 23!

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