Dirtier air could soon be drifting into New Jersey from the Midwest, due to to the Trump administration's latest environmental decision, according to environmentalists.

On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its plan to replace Obama-era power plant regulations.

The new policy proposal is being called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. It affords individual states more power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

"Today's proposal provides the states and regulated community the certainty they need to continue environmental progress while fulfilling President Trump's goal of energy dominance," EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a press release announcing the new rule.

Giving states more flexibility to determine their own emissions standards could have big impact on New Jersey. Even though New Jersey's air quality standards are already stricter than the national standards, according to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Hajna, the state can't stop air pollution blowing in from elsewhere.

The New York Times reports that the Trump EPA predicts there could be more than 1,400 premature deaths annually by 2030 because of increased air pollution as a result of the new plan.

The proposed Affordable Clean Energy Rule replaces the Clean Power Plan that was put in place under Obama. The Clean Power Plan was designed to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change, in part by closing coal-fired power plants.

But Obama's plan never went into effect. It faced a stiff legal challenge and eventually went before the Supreme Court, which stayed the rule.

Coal power in New Jersey has declined as favor builds for natural gas, which is cheaper and burns cleaner. Just across the Delaware River, however, Pennsylvania has six coal power plants currently in operation.

Gov. Phil Murphy reacted to the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, issuing a statement criticizing the Trump administration's new policy.

"Reversing efforts to combat climate change and increasing carbon emissions nationwide is not only a shameful move by the Trump Administration, but one that puts lives at risk and drastically harms human health," Murphy said.

Little is going to change for power plants in New Jersey, according to Hajna. The Garden State already has strict emissions standards for power plants, and that is unlikely to change under the Murphy administration.

"We've been doing our part for years," Hajna said.

Hajna said he was unsure how the new rule would affect plans for new natural gas power plants in New Jersey. Four proposed natural gas power plants (one in Woodbridge, one in Cape May, one in North Bergen and one in Holland Township) are currently in the planning stages, according to a recent report by NJ Spotlight.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.