The EPA announced plans Tuesday to overturn its 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health and welfare, a move expected to trigger legal challenges. Administrator Lee Zeldin described this step as a key part of President Trump’s efforts to dismantle existing climate regulations and make it more difficult for future administrations to reinstate them. The 2009 “endangerment finding” has served as the legal basis for regulating emissions from cars, power plants, and other sources under the Clean Air Act.
This proposal follows a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that classified greenhouse gases as pollutants, leading the Obama administration to issue standards for emissions. Zeldin argues that while the EPA is authorized to regulate greenhouse gases, it is not required to do so. Environmental groups warn that overturning the finding ignores overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change risks and endangers public health. The EPA will open the draft plan for public comment before finalizing it, setting the stage for potential lawsuits that could challenge the validity of existing greenhouse gas regulations if the endangerment finding is revoked.