Trump Administration Scraps Key EPA Climate Ruling, Unravelling US Emissions Regulations
The administration of Donald Trump has dismantled a cornerstone of US climate policy after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally repealed the landmark 2009 climate “endangerment finding,” a decision that underpins most federal rules on greenhouse gas emissions.
The finding, introduced during the presidency of Barack Obama, established that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. It serves as the legal foundation for regulating emissions from vehicles, power plants and industrial facilities under the Clean Air Act.
Experts warn that the repeal effectively removes federal greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks and could pave the way for the rollback of regulations on power plants, oil and gas facilities. Legal challenges are widely expected, as courts have repeatedly upheld the endangerment finding since the US Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases qualify as air pollutants under federal law.
Trump hailed the decision as “the single largest deregulatory action in American history,” while EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the finding as “the Holy Grail of federal regulatory overreach.” The president dismissed the scientific basis of the ruling, despite broad scientific consensus that greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate-related disasters including heatwaves, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
The EPA also announced plans to propose a two-year delay of a Biden-era regulation limiting emissions from cars and light trucks, further weakening federal climate protections.
Environmental organisations condemned the move, calling it the most severe blow ever to federal climate authority. Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp said the decision would increase pollution, raise costs for families and worsen public health, property values and water security.
Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy described the repeal as reckless, accusing the agency of prioritising fossil fuel interests over public safety. Similarly, former President Obama warned that the decision would leave Americans “less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change.”
Health experts also raised alarm. Lisa Patel, head of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, said the policy shift prioritises corporate profits over clean air, water and children’s health, warning of rising asthma cases, premature births, heart attacks and cancer linked to increased pollution.
The Natural Resources Defense Council said the repeal could eliminate most climate rules and make it harder for future administrations to address global warming.
The EPA’s action follows a Trump executive order directing a review of the legality and applicability of the endangerment finding, a long-standing demand of conservative groups and Republican lawmakers who argue that climate regulations harm the economy.
