EPA Revokes Landmark Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding After 16 Years

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday reversed its own 2009 “endangerment finding,” dismantling the scientific and legal foundation that has enabled federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions for over a decade and a half.

The finding, which declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion endanger public health and welfare, has served as the cornerstone for regulating emissions from power plants, vehicles, and other industrial sources since its adoption following a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.

The Trump administration justified the reversal by claiming the finding has harmed industry and economic growth, arguing that previous administrations misrepresented scientific evidence when determining greenhouse gases pose public health risks. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin appeared alongside President Trump during the announcement at the White House.

“This action represents a fundamental shift in America’s climate policy,” said an administration official speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re putting American energy production and economic competitiveness first while moving away from burdensome regulations.”

Environmental experts warn the decision could have far-reaching consequences for climate regulation. David Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, explained that the action effectively “repeals all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks” and could trigger a broader dismantling of climate regulations for power plants and oil and gas facilities.

“It also prevents future administrations from proposing rules to address global warming because they would have to restart the scientific and legal process to establish a new endangerment finding,” Doniger said. “That could take years and face significant legal challenges.”

Climate scientists have expressed alarm that overturning the finding undermines decades of scientific progress and damages the credibility of U.S. environmental institutions. They point to mounting evidence that rising global temperatures are causing more extreme weather events, with all of the hottest years on record occurring since 2009.

These climate shifts have resulted in more frequent and severe heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and catastrophic flooding from intense storms, causing billions of dollars in damage annually across the United States. A recent federal climate assessment documented that climate-related disasters cost the U.S. economy over $150 billion in 2023 alone.

The Trump administration has suggested climate models overestimate future warming and that long-term disaster trends don’t show significant changes. The Department of Energy has also claimed climate change has minimal impact on the economy, contradicting assessments from numerous financial institutions and the government’s own reports.

Since taking effect in 2010 during President Barack Obama’s first term, the endangerment finding has enabled regulations targeting emissions across multiple sectors. It provided legal justification for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, fuel economy standards for vehicles, and methane emission rules for oil and gas operations. The EPA had also determined that greenhouse gas emissions from certain aircraft endanger health and welfare, setting the stage for future aviation regulations.

Environmental and public health organizations have vowed to challenge the revocation in court, where previous legal challenges to the finding have consistently failed. As recently as 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected attempts to overturn the finding.

Legal experts believe the administration faces significant hurdles in defending its reversal. “The scientific evidence supporting the endangerment finding has only grown stronger since 2009,” said a former EPA attorney who requested anonymity to speak freely. “The courts have consistently upheld the finding, and overturning a science-based determination will require substantial justification.”

Several states have already announced intentions to maintain stricter emissions standards regardless of federal policy changes, potentially creating a patchwork of regulations across the country and complicating compliance for industries operating nationwide.