The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the leadership of Lee Zeldin, is preparing to reverse rules put in place during the Obama administration. These rules have been the foundation for many climate change regulations, including those aimed at reducing emissions from gas-powered cars and coal-fired power plants.
Zeldin, in an interview, described the move as “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.” The EPA is expected to officially withdraw the “endangerment finding” which was established in 2009.
The original finding stated that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane endanger public health. This led to regulations that pushed Americans toward electric vehicles and placed restrictions on emissions from power plants and oil and gas operations. These regulations also led to higher fuel economy standards and increased government spending on green energy projects.
The EPA estimates that the vehicle regulations alone have cost Americans over $1 trillion.
The Trump administration believes that by reversing these regulations, they can boost affordability and undo many of the policies supported by those who want to shift the United States to green energy sources.
Myron Ebell, who led the EPA transition team during the first Trump administration, said that withdrawing the endangerment finding is “fantastic news for American workers and consumers.” He believes it will lead to the removal of rules that have raised electricity rates, made the power grid less reliable, limited vehicle choices, and sent manufacturing jobs to other countries.
These actions are likely to face legal challenges from Democratic states and environmental groups that see the endangerment finding as essential. Ebell anticipates a significant legal battle that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, criticized the EPA’s decision, claiming that it “rejects the overwhelming evidence that climate pollution threatens everyone’s health and safety.” He vowed to take the EPA to court.
In the past, every Democratic senator, led by Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, signed a letter urging Zeldin to keep the endangerment finding in place. They argued that reversing it would be a “dereliction of duty.”
The issue dates back to the Clean Air Act, passed in the 1970s. This act requires the EPA to regulate air pollutants from sources like cars and power plants if those pollutants are deemed to endanger public health. For many years, the EPA did not consider greenhouse gases to fall under this category.
Several states sued the EPA after the agency stated in 2003 that the Clean Air Act did not give it the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the states, directing the EPA to consider whether greenhouse gas emissions do, in fact, endanger public health. This led to the 2009 endangerment finding.
The Trump EPA began the process of withdrawing the finding several months prior.
