Trump EPA to Revoke 2009 Greenhouse Gas Finding

The Trump administration plans to revoke a key 2009 Environmental Protection Agency determination this week that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, a move that could undermine the legal foundation for major U.S. climate regulations. The EPA is set to issue a final rule rescinding the so-called endangerment finding, which has supported limits on emissions from vehicles, power plants and other sources under the Clean Air Act.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement, confirmed the plans, which were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The action follows more than a year of internal review and a public comment period that received over 500,000 responses. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the step as part of "the most significant deregulatory actions in history to further unleash American energy dominance and drive down costs."

The endangerment finding, established during the Obama administration, concluded that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels contribute to climate change, posing risks including extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves and...