Trump Administration Repeals EPA Climate Authority, Setting Stage for Legal Battles

The Trump administration has finalized a major rollback of federal climate policy, eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under a key 2009 determination known as the endangerment finding.

That finding had classified several greenhouse gases as threats to public health under the Clean Air Act. For more than a decade, it has served as the legal foundation for federal limits on climate pollution from vehicles, power plants and the oil and gas industry.

Administration officials say the repeal is based primarily on legal arguments, contending the Clean Air Act does not grant the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases for the purpose of addressing climate change. The move also clears the way for rolling back additional regulations tied to vehicle emissions and other sources of climate pollution.

Supporters of the repeal argue the policy restores limits on federal regulatory power and leaves decisions about climate policy to Congress. Critics, however, say the action dismantles one of the federal government’s most important tools for addressing climate change.

Environmental, health and advocacy groups have already pledged to challenge the decision in court. Legal experts say the fight could take years and may ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

If the repeal is upheld, it could significantly reshape how — or whether — the federal government regulates greenhouse gas emissions moving forward.

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