Trump’s EPA Aims to Overturn Key Climate Policy: What It Means for Our Planet’s Future

In 2007, the Supreme Court made a significant ruling. It decided that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could regulate greenhouse gases because they are considered air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. This decision was crucial for climate policy in the U.S. It led the EPA to declare that six major greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, harm public health and welfare.

Using this declaration, called the endangerment finding, the EPA created rules to reduce emissions from vehicles during the Obama and Biden administrations. This was important because nearly 30% of U.S. emissions come from transportation. Over the years, the EPA has used this finding to regulate emissions from various sources, such as coal plants and airplanes.

However, the endangerment finding is now under threat. Reports suggest that EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has recommended that the White House should eliminate this finding. While Trump administration officials have not made a final decision, there has been a longstanding interest from Republicans to change it, as outlined in a conservative policy plan known as Project 2025.

Experts believe that reversing the endangerment finding won’t be easy. It is rooted in established laws and has been supported by courts multiple times. “There’s a vast amount of scientific evidence showing that greenhouse gas emissions lead to climate change, which threatens public health and welfare,” said Romany Webb, a climate law expert.

Any attempt to reverse this finding would likely face legal challenges. In 2022, Congress reinforced the endangerment finding in the Inflation Reduction Act, which mentions that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are air pollutants. “This recent legislation makes it even more challenging for the EPA to revoke the endangerment finding,” Webb added.

Since its inception, the endangerment finding has faced numerous challenges in court. Each time, the courts have supported the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases. In fact, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the EPA’s authority, calling its interpretation of the law “unambiguously correct.” Recently, the Supreme Court chose not to review cases challenging this finding, further solidifying its stance.

During Trump’s first term, a group pushed the EPA to reconsider the endangerment finding. However, the EPA decided against it, stating that various EPA rules relied on the finding, including those from the Trump administration.

If the Biden administration were to order the EPA to reverse this finding and Congress acted to retract parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, it could lead to a rollback of vital climate regulations. This would occur at a time when the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent.

Many Americans are already experiencing the severe impacts of climate change, such as intense heat waves, floods, and worsening air quality. Vickie Patton from the Environmental Defense Fund cautioned that reversing the endangerment finding would be dangerous and illegal, disregarding the EPA’s duty to protect the public from harmful pollution.

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Air Quality,Climate,Policy,Politics,Trump Administration