EPA kills foundation of greenhouse gas regulations
The legal foundation for US climate regulations is being dismantled.
Deep Dive
The EPA has revoked the 2009 "endangerment finding" that served as the scientific and legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants, and industry. This move, by the second Trump administration, directly challenges the Supreme Court's 2007 order that mandated the EPA analyze climate dangers. The agency argues recent court decisions make the original ruling unlawful, aiming to eliminate the legal compulsion to address climate change entirely.
Why It Matters
This could permanently strip the federal government's authority to regulate the emissions driving climate change.