The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a landmark scientific finding that serves as the legal foundation for federal regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions, in a devastating blow to efforts to combat climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding, established under President Barack Obama in 2009, classified carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare.
It underpins Clean Air Act emissions standards and rules for cars and light trucks, power plants, and oil and gas industry facilities.
“Under the process just completed by the EPA, we are officially terminating the so-called endangerment finding,” President Donald Trump said at the White House with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Zeldin said all greenhouse gas emissions standards on light, medium and heavy duty vehicles that followed the endangerment finding have been eliminated.
