On Tuesday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposal to repeal the Obama-era Endangerment Finding, a regulation he referred to as the “holy grail of the climate change religion.”
The proposed repeal was unveiled during an event at an Indiana auto dealership, with Zeldin joined by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Indiana Governor Mike Braun,
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and American Trucking Association President and CEO Chris Spear.
The Endangerment Finding, originally issued in 2009, has served as the legal foundation for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
According to the agency, it has been used to justify more than $1 trillion in federal regulations, including electric vehicle mandates introduced by the Biden-Harris administration.
In an EPA press release issued Tuesday, the agency explained that rescinding the Endangerment Finding would effectively eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines.
Zeldin emphasized that this move would restore consumer choice in the automotive market and relieve American families and businesses from what he described as hidden taxes tied to regulatory compliance.
Zeldin said in a written statement, “With this proposal, the Trump EPA is proposing to end sixteen years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers. In our work so far, many stakeholders have told me that the Obama and Biden EPAs twisted the law, ignored precedent, and warped science to achieve their preferred ends and stick American families with hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden taxes every single year. We heard loud and clear the concern that EPA’s GHG emissions standards themselves, not carbon dioxide which the Finding never assessed independently, was the real threat to Americans’ livelihoods. If finalized, rescinding the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations would end $1 trillion or more in hidden taxes on American businesses and families.”
During a Breitbart Fight Club Roundtable, Zeldin further explained that the Endangerment Finding never made a direct claim that carbon dioxide from motor vehicles was a threat.
Instead, he said the finding broadly linked a group of six greenhouse gases, including some not emitted by vehicles, to a contribution—not causation—of climate change. Zeldin noted, “They don’t say carbon dioxide equals pollutant. They don’t say carbon dioxide equals endangerment to public health.”
The EPA’s press release noted the proposal would also eliminate several features on newer vehicles, such as automatic engine stop-start systems, that have been widely unpopular with drivers.
Governor Mike Braun praised the move in a written statement: “The Obama-Biden EPA used regulations as a political tool and hurt American competitiveness without results to show for it. Today’s announcement is a win for consumer choice, common sense, and American energy independence. President Trump, Secretary Wright, and Administrator Zeldin are returning the EPA to its proper role, and I’m proud they chose Indiana as the place to make this announcement because our state is proof we can protect our environment and support American jobs.”
Attorney General Todd Rokita also voiced support for the repeal effort.
“Over the last four years, conservative state attorneys general were the last line of defense in fighting back against the Biden administration’s federal overreach and green new scam agenda,” Rokita said.
“However, thanks to President Trump and patriots like Administrator Zeldin and Secretary Wright, we are now on the front lines helping to unleash American energy.”
Chris Spear, head of the American Trucking Association, said repealing the electric truck mandate and greenhouse gas regulations would provide critical relief to the transportation industry.
“We commend President Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin for taking decisive action to rescind the disastrous GHG Phase 3 rule.
This electric-truck mandate put the trucking industry on a path to economic ruin and would have crippled our supply chain, disrupted deliveries, and raised prices for American families and businesses.
Moreover, it kicked innovation to the curb by discarding available technologies that can further drive down emissions at a fraction of the cost,” Spear said.
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at the Heritage Foundation, noted that regulations stemming from the Endangerment Finding have been a contributing factor in the rise of automobile prices—from $23,000 in 2009 to nearly $50,000 today.
The EPA’s proposed repeal is expected to spark debate over the federal government’s role in regulating emissions and the broader direction of environmental policy under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The agency will proceed through a public comment period before any final action is taken on the repeal.
