The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency heard overwhelming opposition Tuesday as it opened public hearings on its proposal to revoke its 2009 finding that greenhouse gases harm human health.
Aidan Hughes reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The EPA has proposed repealing its "endangerment finding," a legal cornerstone that since 2009 has allowed federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
- Of about 200 speakers during the first public hearing, fewer than 10 supported the repeal; opponents included doctors, scientists, religious leaders, and state attorneys general.
- The EPA justified its decision with a U.S. Department of Energy report that contradicts mainstream climate science and claims rising carbon dioxide levels may benefit agriculture and have limited economic harm.
Key quote:
“In the case of climate change, things cannot be clearer: Greenhouse gases are driving climate change, which is harming people’s lungs across the country.”
— Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association
Why this matters:
The EPA's 2009 endangerment finding legally bound the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as threats to public health and welfare. Rolling back that determination could paralyze U.S. efforts to curb emissions from cars, power plants, and industrial sources. The implications stretch beyond climate, because as emissions rise, so do health impacts, particularly in communities already burdened by pollution. Children, the elderly, and those with preexisting respiratory conditions are at greater risk. Reversing this finding would not only unravel a decade of climate policy but also signal a sharp turn away from science-backed regulation at a moment when wildfires, extreme heat, and air quality crises are accelerating.
Read more: Businesses fear 'chaos' after Trump administration moves to strip EPA’s climate pollution authority
