States, Cities Sue EPA Over GHG Endangerment Repeal

A coalition of 24 states, 10 cities, and five counties filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, challenging the Trump administration's recent repeal of a key scientific determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. The action, lodged in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, seeks to restore the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which has served as the legal foundation for federal regulations on emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other sources under the Clean Air Act.

The EPA finalized its repeal of the finding last month, a move that eliminates greenhouse gas emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines from model years 2012 through 2027 and beyond. The agency also rescinded related tailpipe standards and features such as automatic stop-start systems in cars. Officials described the repeal as a reevaluation of the finding's legal basis in light of recent court decisions, including a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the Clean Air Act's application to carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. An EPA spokesperson stated that the original 2009 determination...