Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Dan Coats (R-Ind.) will introduce legislation this week to “delay compliance deadlines on two major EPA rules: cross-state air pollution and power-plant mercury standards,” according to the National Journal.

Both have received substantial campaign contributions from the electric utility industry that would benefit from this delay.

• Sen. Manchin has received $231,900 in campaign contributions from electric utility companies since 2009, according to Public Campaign analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics, his fourth largest giving sector. Top donors to Manchin include the employees and PACs of FirstEnergy Corp ($56,000 in contributions), American Electric Power ($45,950), and Dominion Resources ($27,750).
• Sen. Coats has received at least $37,750 in donations from electric utility companies. In 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $500,000 to benefit Coat’s election. The Chamber, a trade group of some of the country’s largest corporations, has long supported efforts to delay implementation of EPA standards.

A delay in these compliance deadlines may be bad for the health of the American people, but it will probably improve the health of Coats and Manchin’s campaign bank accounts.