- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to repeal the 2009 "endangerment finding," which classified greenhouse gases as public health threats. He claims it will save $1 trillion in regulatory costs and $54 billion annually for Americans.
- The finding established under the Clean Air Act enabled emissions regulations for vehicles, power plants and industries. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden used it to justify fuel efficiency standards and methane rules, while critics called it federal overreach.
- Automakers and oil/gas groups praised the repeal for reducing regulatory burdens, while environmental groups warned it could undo decades of climate progress, calling it a threat to public health.
- The repeal will likely face lawsuits, citing the Supreme Court's 2007 ruling affirming EPA's authority. States like California may enforce stricter rules, creating a regulatory patchwork.
- Zeldin frames the move as ending bureaucratic overreach, while critics accuse him of favoring fossil fuels. The proposal enters a 30-day public comment period, with prolonged legal challenges expected.
In a bold strike against what he calls decades of federal overreach, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled plans to dismantle the legal foundation of U.S. climate regulations. He claims this will slash $1 trillion in burdensome rules and save Americans $54 billion annually.
The proposal, announced at an Indiana auto dealership, targets the 2009 "endangerment finding." This Obama-era determination rules that greenhouse gases threaten public health – enabling sweeping emissions controls on cars, power plants and industries.
Zeldin framed the repeal as a liberation for businesses and consumers. He accused past administrations of weaponizing science to justify what he termed "hidden taxes" on energy, transportation and manufacturing. (Related: Trump's EPA head Lee Zeldin needs to undo the 'Endangerment Finding.')
The endangerment finding, established under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act, declared carbon dioxide, methane and four other gases as threats to public welfare. Though it imposed no direct rules, it empowered the EPA to regulate emissions from vehicles, power plants, and oil and gas operations.
The Obama administration used it to justify fuel efficiency standards, while the Biden administration expanded its reach to methane leaks and electric vehicle mandates. Critics argue the finding was a backdoor for aggressive federal control, while supporters insist it was a necessary shield against climate disasters.
Now, Zeldin's EPA contends the science behind it is flawed. The agency cited updated data from a Trump-era Department of Energy panel, and pointed to the fact that Congress never intended the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases.
Zeldin dismantles the EPA's "climate nonsense"
Zeldin didn't mince words, calling the proposal "the largest deregulatory action in American history. The repeal, he said, would end "16 years of uncertainty" for automakers who have faced shifting rules on everything from tailpipe emissions to electric vehicle quotas.
Industry groups cheered. Automakers long squeezed by competing state and federal standards praised the move as a return to consumer choice, while oil and gas interests hailed it as a reprieve from methane rules they call economically crippling. "This removes the basis for all the climate nonsense we’ve endured," said Marc Morano of Climate Depot.
On the other side of the fence, opponents warn the endangerment finding's repeal could unravel decades of progress. Peter Zalzal of the Environmental Defense Fund called it "the legal foundation protecting millions from climate threats."
Legal challenges are inevitable. The Supreme Court's 2007 Massachusetts v. EPA ruling affirmed the agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gases – a precedent environmental lawyers will definitely invoke.
The state of California, which has used EPA waivers to set stricter tailpipe rules, has already vowed to fight back. "We recognize the science and won't retreat," said Liane Randolph, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board.
The proposal fits a broader pattern. Zeldin – a Trump ally and former New York congressman – has rolled back 31 environmental rules since March. Despite criticism, Zeldin insists that the EPA is refocusing on "real solutions" instead of "twisted science."
He argues the endangerment finding enabled regulators to micromanage everything from pizza ovens to ceiling fans, all while China and India pollute unchecked. "This isn't about the environment; it's about control," he told Newsmax.
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Watch this Fox News report about EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin cutting millions in government waste earmarked for former President Biden's "left-wing friends."
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