WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving to roll back the centerpiece of President Obama’s efforts to slow global warming, seeking to ease restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.

In a plan expected to be made public in coming days, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the Obama-era rule exceeded federal law by setting emissions standards that power plants could not reasonably meet.

The 43-page document underscores President Trump’s bid to revive the struggling coal industry.

The EPA proposal would make good on Trump’s campaign pledge to unravel Obama’s efforts to curb global warming and follows Trump’s promise to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate agreement. Nearly 200 countries have committed to combat global warming by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The EPA won’t prescribe an immediate replacement for the plan, but will seek public comment on whether to curb climate-warming emissions from coal and natural gas power plants.

A spokeswoman for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt declined to comment Friday on the authenticity of the leaked document but said the Obama administration “pushed the bounds of their authority so far” that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay to prevent the Clean Power Plan from taking effect.

Obama’s plan was designed to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The rule dictated specific emission targets for states based on power-plant emissions and gave officials broad latitude to decide how to achieve reductions.


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