US President Donald Trump will formally repeal the 2009 Obama-era "endangerment finding" that established greenhouse gases such as CO2 as a threat to public health, the White House said (via APT). The decision forms the legal foundation for regulating emissions under the Clean Air Act and underpins federal climate rules covering vehicles, oil and gas operations and power plants.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the decision the "largest deregulatory action in American history" and said it would save Americans $1.3tn, without detailing how that figure was reached. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin previously indicated the repeal would apply to vehicle emissions standards, though the agency has not fully clarified the scope. An EPA spokesperson described the original finding as deeply damaging to families and businesses.
Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund and Earthjustice, pledged immediate legal challenges. Critics argue the rollback would strip the federal government of its authority to regulate climate pollution and could lead to higher long-term health and economic costs. A court battle now appears inevitable...