On Tuesday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposal to scrap the 2009 "endangerment finding," which declares that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases pose a threat to public health and welfare.
That landmark finding — based on decades of scientific evidence and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court — has served as the legal backbone of climate-related regulations under the Clean Air Act, including emissions limits on cars, trucks, and power plants.
Zeldin revealed the move on the conservative "Ruthless" podcast, calling it "the largest deregulatory action in the history of America."
A Move to Undermine Climate Regulation at Its Core
The 2009 endangerment finding was a response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases as air pollutants. Its repeal would strike at the core of U.S. federal climate policy and potentially cripple the government's ability to address the climate crisis through executive regulation.
Calling the finding "the holy grail of the climate change religion," Zeldin said the EPA was reversing course to promote what he termed "the Golden Age of American success."
The plan is part of a broader deregulatory agenda under President Trump. Earlier this year, Zeldin announced a sweeping rollback of 31 environmental protections, including those aimed at clean air, water, and climate resilience.
In addition to the endangerment finding, the EPA is also proposing to rescind rules limiting tailpipe emissions — a move that would weaken regulations designed to push automakers toward producing more electric vehicles. The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Former EPA Leaders and Legal Experts Condemn the Proposal
The announcement drew swift condemnation from public health advocates, climate scientists, and former EPA officials, who warned that dismantling the endangerment finding could endanger millions of lives and undermine the agency's legal mandate.
Christine Todd Whitman, EPA administrator under President George W. Bush, said the move runs counter to the agency's mission. "If there's an endangerment finding to be made, it's against this administration," she said. "They are violating everything the EPA stands for."
Environmental groups argue that the proposal is not only dangerous but legally unsound. David Doniger, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said it would be nearly impossible for the EPA to justify reversing the 2009 finding in court, given the overwhelming body of climate science.
"This is a reckless attempt at a legal kill switch," said Doniger. "If they succeed, it would gut every federal climate rule currently in place and block future administrations from addressing the climate crisis through regulation."
The Legal and Political Battle Ahead
Despite support from some conservative lawmakers and industry groups, legal analysts believe the EPA faces an uphill battle in repealing the endangerment finding. Courts have repeatedly upheld the agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, and the scientific consensus on climate change has only grown stronger since 2009.
The EPA's proposed rule follows an executive order by Trump instructing the agency to review the legal basis of the finding — a move widely seen as an attempt to unravel climate protections through regulatory means rather than legislation.
Peter Zalzal, vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, warned the move would severely jeopardize public health and global climate efforts.
"The endangerment finding is the cornerstone of climate protections that safeguard Americans from devastating pollution," Zalzal said. "Revoking it is not only legally indefensible — it is morally unacceptable."
What's Next
The EPA is expected to publish the proposed rule officially in the Federal Register in the coming days, after which a public comment period will begin. Environmental groups are preparing for legal challenges, and any final rule is likely to face multiple lawsuits.
If successful, the repeal could allow Trump to effectively erase decades of climate policy and prevent future administrations from reinstating regulations — unless Congress steps in with new legislation.
As the climate crisis intensifies — with record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and flooding worldwide — the move marks a dramatic escalation in Trump's effort to strip back environmental regulations and redefine the role of the federal government in addressing the planetary emergency.