Hoosiers deserve clean air — no matter where we live, work, or raise our families.

The EPA’s recent decision to roll back strengthened Mercury and Air Toxics Standards removes protections that helped reduce mercury emissions by 86% after they were first implemented in 2012. Those standards were designed to limit dangerous pollutants from coal-fired power plants — including mercury, heavy metals, and soot — that doctors and public health advocates warn are linked to asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, neurological damage, and certain cancers.

Health professionals and environmental advocates here in Indiana are sounding the alarm. They warn that weakening these standards will mean more toxic pollution in our air and more contaminants settling into our lakes and rivers, where mercury can accumulate in fish that families rely on for food and recreation.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting children with asthma in Indianapolis, seniors with heart conditions in Evansville, and families living near power plants in every corner of our state. Pollution does not stop at county lines. It travels across communities and affects us all.

Supporters of the rollback argue it will lower costs and strengthen energy reliability. But clean air and affordable energy should not be competing priorities. Indiana can pursue reliable, affordable power while still upholding strong health safeguards that protect our most vulnerable residents.

We are calling on EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Indiana’s elected officials — Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks, and members of Indiana’s U.S. House delegation — to stand up for Hoosier health by restoring and defending strong Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Indiana families should not be asked to trade their lungs and hearts for short-term savings.

Protect our air. Protect our water. Protect Hoosier health.