WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency declared Wednesday as the “most significant day of deregulation in American history,” unveiling a series of measures to reverse key environmental regulations. These actions include rolling back rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change, and electric vehicles.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated in an essay in The Wall Street Journal that these efforts are aimed at dismantling what he refers to as the “climate-change religion” and introducing a new era of prosperity for America. Zeldin highlighted that the Trump administration’s initiatives will cut trillions of dollars in regulatory expenses and “hidden taxes,” leading to lower costs for American households and reduced prices for necessities like cars, home heating, and business operations. He emphasized that these actions will revitalize American manufacturing and distribute economic advantages across communities, asserting that “energy dominance is central to America’s revitalization.”
Zeldin disclosed plans to eliminate 31 environmental regulations, including the revision of a critical scientific conclusion that has guided U.S. responses to climate change. He mentioned that he and President Donald Trump are in favor of revising the EPA’s 2009 determination that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, which serves as the legal foundation for various climate-related regulations.
Environmentalists and climate experts caution that challenging the endangerment finding could face significant legal hurdles, as it is deeply rooted in U.S. law and supported by overwhelming scientific evidence. In addition to this initiative, Zeldin announced the revision of rules governing air pollution from power plants and vehicle emissions, with the latter mistakenly labeled by the administration as an electric vehicle “mandate.”
The Democratic administration under President Joe Biden had implemented rules to reduce pollution from power plants and promote the transition to zero-emission vehicles, emphasizing the importance of combating climate change. Zeldin’s EPA also intends to review regulations on industrial pollution, mercury contamination, soot emissions, and wetland protections. Moreover, the agency has terminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and is scaling back environmental justice initiatives, with a focus on enhancing conditions in disadvantaged areas impacted by pollution.
Zeldin stressed that the objective is not to forsake environmental protection but to promote it through innovative approaches rather than restrictive measures. He underscored the need to reconsider regulations that impede oil and gas production and unfairly target coal-fired power plants to ensure that American energy remains clean, affordable, and dependable.
Scientist Michael Mann criticized the EPA’s recent actions as “just the latest form of Republican climate denial.” He noted that while they can no longer deny climate change, they are now downplaying its threat despite overwhelming scientific evidence. The recommendation to reconsider the endangerment finding and other EPA rules came from Project 2025, a conservative plan for Trump’s second term. Russell Vought, co-author of the project, called the actions long overdue, emphasizing the impact of EPA regulations on the national economy.
Critics like Jason Rylander from the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute condemned the Trump administration’s approach, accusing them of prioritizing polluter profits over people’s lives. Rylander vowed to challenge the reconsideration of the endangerment finding in court. The United States, the second largest carbon polluter globally, faces backlash for recent moves to terminate environmental justice staff and drop a case against a Louisiana petrochemical plant.
Former EPA environmental justice office head Matthew Tejada criticized Trump and others for promoting pollution and exposing Americans to harmful chemicals. Anne Bradbury from the American Exploration & Production Council supported the changes, emphasizing the importance of workable EPA rules for energy dominance. In contrast, New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone condemned the actions as a betrayal of the American people, warning of severe environmental and health consequences.
