EPA proposes rescinding 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding that climate-warming pollution threatens public health and welfare, a move that would undercut federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions and potentially reshape the regulatory framework for power plants, vehicles, and fossil-fuel operations. Public hearings on the plan have highlighted a strong public pushback, with health advocates and many state officials warning that rolling back the finding would increase health risks and hamper climate resilience, even as supporters argue the move would restore state flexibility and reduce regulatory overreach.

The endangerment finding, issued during the Obama administration, established that greenhouse gases pose a threat to health and welfare and provided the legal footing for a broad slate of federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act. The EPA’s current proposal argues that legal and scientific developments justify reconsidering that determination and, in tandem, reexamining limits on emissions from motor vehicles. While the agency maintains that its legal reasoning underpins the proposed rule, critics say the move could unravel decades...