Administrator Zeldin Reportedly Working to Strike Endangerment Finding, Undermining EPA’s Ability to Protect Public from Global Warming Pollution Harms

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has reportedly submitted recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget that seek to strike the EPA’s “Endangerment Finding,” which forms a key scientific and legal basis for the agency’s safeguards to address heat-trapping emissions that drive climate change and harm public health and wellbeing.

Below is a statement by Dr. Rachel Cleetus, the policy director with the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

“Reporting indicates Administrator Zeldin has issued egregious recommendations that would fly in the face of established climate science. Eliminating the Endangerment Finding would be a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry, which has spent decades lying to the public about the harms of their product.

“The science backing the EPA’s Finding is rigorous and unequivocal—heat-trapping emissions pose serious threats to public health and wellbeing. EPA has the authority and legal obligation under the Clean Air Act to regulate sources of these pollutants, including vehicles, power plants, and oil and gas operations.

“Any recommendation to strike the Finding would be a bad faith attempt to circumvent the law and best available science with the sole aim of boosting fossil fuel use and the profits of polluting companies. Meanwhile, people around the nation, especially in communities acutely exposed to climate impacts or pollution, will pay the price.

“Any attempt to gut the Endangerment Finding or roll back environmental and health protections based on it would see Administrator Zeldin blatantly reneging on the fundamental mission of the agency he leads and will be fully challenged in court.”