Trump EPA Repeals Key Climate Rule, Sparks Legal Battle
The Trump administration has formally rescinded the 2009 'endangerment finding,' a pivotal climate rule established under the Obama administration that classified greenhouse gases as a public health threat. This finding served as the legal foundation for federal regulations on vehicle and power plant emissions, including incentives for electric vehicle production. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced the repeal on February 12. Critics, including Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), have accused the administration of 'rejecting the science, the law and judicial precedent.' The administration claims the reversal will save the U.S. economy $1.3 trillion, a figure opponents dispute as 'cooking the books.' The repeal deepens an ongoing legal fight over vehicle emissions standards and throws the future of federal climate policy into question. The move creates significant uncertainty for industry and states. Analysts at Brookings note that the 'wild swings in U.S. climate policy' harm investors and trading partners. While the EPA argues that federal preemption still prevents states from setting their own vehicle emissions standards, some legal scholars disagree, potentially opening the door for state-level action. Environmental advocates and some states are expected to challenge the repeal in court, arguing the EPA has a statutory duty to regulate pollutants that endanger public health.
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The Trump administration’s repeal of the endangerment finding that allows EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions throws another complicated factor into ongoing lawsuits over vehicle emissions standards, which have served as incentives to make and sell electric vehicles.
Trump killed a key climate tool: Why is state taking it personally? | State Government | ack.net
Trump and Zeldin are “are rejecting the science, the law and judicial precedent through this reckless repeal of the endangerment finding,” said U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who serves on the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The EPA has “a clear statutory requirement to protect public health from air pollutants – including from climate ...
President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Feb. 12 that the administration was rescinding its own endangerment finding that set the legal limits on the amount of pollutants a vehicle can emit.
The United States has slammed the brakes on legal routes to limit greenhouse gases. But cities, states and businesses can keep pushing for a cleaner environment. The United States has slammed the brakes on legal routes to limit greenhouse gases. But cities, states and businesses can keep pushing ...
Sign up for CBT News’ daily newsletter and get the latest industry stories delivered straight to your inbox. The 2009 endangerment finding followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Massachusetts v. EPA and provided the legal basis for federal climate regulations limiting power plant emissions and tightening vehicle ...
Up to now, federal regulation of GHG emissions from vehicles has superseded any state efforts. With the federal EPA abandoning this authority, states might be able to step in. The EPA argues in the repeal that states could not set their own GHG standards for vehicles, as federal preemption still applies even if EPA does not regulate. Some legal scholars disagree. That could be good news ...
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