The Environmental Protection Agency is set to repeal a key finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health, a move that would amount to a major rollback of government regulation of vehicle pollution.
The EPA proposed a rule last year to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which concluded that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a threat to public health and welfare. The finding was supported by a 2007 Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, affirming that greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
The final rule is currently under review at the White House and is slated to be published this week.
“This week at the White House, President Trump will be taking the most significant deregulatory actions in history to further unleash American energy dominance and drive down costs,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Washington Examiner.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the final rule “amounts to the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.”
The repeal will likely face legal challenges from environmentalists. But it could have lasting effects on how the government regulates greenhouse gas emissions, as it serves as a legal basis for the EPA to regulate vehicle emissions.
A repealed Endangerment Finding would result in the elimination of all emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. The emission standards allow auto manufacturers several options to meet emission targets, including producing electric, hybrid, or advanced-technology vehicles.
Cars and trucks emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases, making them the largest source of pollution in the United States.
Zeldin has argued that repealing the finding would save consumers money and restore consumer choice when purchasing a vehicle.
The Trump administration has sought to repeal policies imposed by the Biden administration that promote electric vehicle adoption. The Trump team has referred to them as an “EV mandate.”
Although the rule does not directly regulate other pollutants, the agency has used the finding to justify controlling fossil fuels from power plants and oil and gas drilling. The Trump administration has shifted away from supporting renewable energy to instead push policies that favor fossil fuels such as coal.
The Wall Street Journal reported that on Wednesday, Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will announce an executive order directing the Department of War to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants.
The announcement aligns with the DOE’s efforts to prevent coal plants from retiring to address reliability concerns as energy demand increases and electricity prices rise.
HERE’S WHAT’S AT STAKE IF THE EPA WITHDRAWS THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING
The administration will also award funding to five coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Kentucky to recommission and upgrade the facilities, the publication said. The Washington Coal Club will award the inaugural “Undisputed Champion of Coal” to President Donald Trump as well.
