Trump Rolls Back Emissions Rules on Copper Smelters

The proclamation grants local copper smelters with a two-year exemption for compliance with the 2024 rule.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 15, 2025. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Oct. 24 aimed at reversing a Biden-era environmental rule that enforced stricter air emission standards on copper smelters.

The proclamation grants local copper smelters a two-year exemption from compliance with the 2024 rule that had required them to cut emissions of hazardous air pollutants like lead, arsenic, and mercury.