Washington state to fight Trump's coal plant plan

SEATTLE -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says the state plans to sue the Trump administration over its proposal to dismantle Obama-era pollution rules that would have increased federal regulation of emissions of coal-fired power plants.

Inslee, a Democrat, told reporters Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency plan threatens lives and is also illegal.

Assistant Attorney General Bill Sherman says the state will sue but must first wait for the rule to be formally proposed and finalized, which could take months. He expects other states will take part.

The EPA says its Affordable Clean Energy rule "empowers states, promotes energy independence and facilitates economic growth and job creation."

The state's only coal-fired power plant in Centralia is already scheduled to shut down by 2025.

Inslee said the state will move forward with its own actions regardless of what happens with that rule.