The Trump administration’s proposed reversal of major U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pollution rules could lead to tens of thousands of premature deaths and erase hundreds of billions in annual health and climate benefits, according to an Associated Press analysis.
In short:
- The rollback targets EPA rules that were projected to prevent 30,000 deaths and save $275 billion annually by limiting pollutants from fossil fuel combustion.
- Trump’s EPA downplays or omits the health benefits of the rules while highlighting compliance costs, despite scientific analyses showing benefits far outweigh costs.
- Health experts warn that weakening these regulations will increase exposure to deadly fine particulate matter, smog, mercury, and other toxic pollutants.
Key quote:
“More people will die. More of this type of pollution that we know kills people will be in the air.”
— Cory Zigler, professor of biostatistics at Brown University
Why this matters:
Air pollution remains one of the world’s leading environmental health risks, linked to heart and lung disease, cancer, neurological disorders, and premature death. U.S. regulations targeting fossil fuel emissions have helped cut levels of deadly pollutants like soot and sulfur dioxide, especially in historically polluted communities. Rolling back these protections could reverse years of public health gains, particularly in low-income and frontline neighborhoods. Children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions face heightened risks. Cutting climate-related rules also means more greenhouse gas emissions, intensifying heat waves, wildfires, and floods that endanger lives and strain public health systems.
Related: EPA sheds hundreds of staffers as Trump administration pushes agency cuts
