Trump pushes EPA to decide whether to drop climate pollution rules

President Donald Trump has given EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin one week to determine if the agency can abandon its authority to regulate climate pollution under the Clean Air Act, a move that could reshape U.S. climate policy.

Jean Chemnick reports for E&E News.

In short:

Trump’s executive order directs EPA to review the 2009 endangerment finding, which underpins greenhouse gas regulation, and determine its legality by Feb. 19.
Overturning the finding could make it easier to eliminate climate rules without replacement, but legal challenges could stall the effort and drain the EPA’s resources.
Industry groups and legal experts warn that removing EPA’s regulatory authority could increase litigation and limit future administrations’ ability to address climate change.

Key quote:

"Taking away the 2009 endangerment finding would really make it almost a virtual formality to take down all the greenhouse rules for CO2 and methane."

— Joe Goffman, former EPA air chief under President Biden

Why this matters:

The fate of U.S. climate policy may hang in the balance as the Environmental Protection Agency considers scaling back its authority over climate pollution. Such a move would have long-lasting consequences, making it harder for future administrations to reestablish strong regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. With fewer restrictions in place, fossil fuel use could surge, driving up emissions and exacerbating climate-related disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and heat waves. As scientists warn of worsening climate effects, the debate over regulatory authority has become a critical front in the fight against global warming.

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