Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world
The US Environmental Protection Agency has scrapped the legal basis that has underpinned its ability to regulate emissions for almost two decades, as Donald Trump looks to rip up federal climate policy.
The president on Thursday announced the repeal of the so-called endangerment finding, a scientific determination made under the administration of Barack Obama in 2009 that empowered the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases.
“We are officially terminating the so-called endangerment finding, a disastrous Obama-era policy,” Trump told a press conference. “This radical rule became the legal foundation for the green new scam.”
The long-expected move triggered uproar among environmentalists and Democrats who said it would shatter the US’s ability to crack down on pollution and combat climate change.
“The Trump EPA has fully abandoned its duty to protect the American people from greenhouse gas pollution and climate change,” said Democratic senators Chuck Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse in a statement.
But the action was lauded by fossil fuel groups and many Republicans who said the EPA had overstepped its authority by regulating emissions in a manner that was not codified in legislation.
“If Congress didn’t authorise it, EPA shouldn’t be doing it,” said Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator. “If Congress wants EPA to regulate the heck out of greenhouse gases emitted from motor vehicles, then Congress can clearly make that the law, which they haven’t done.”
He added: “Today we dismantle the tactics and legal gymnastics used by the Obama and [Joe] Biden administrations to backdoor their ideological agendas on the American people.”
Climate Capital
Where climate change meets business, markets and politics. Explore the FT’s coverage here.
Are you curious about the FT’s environmental sustainability commitments? Find out more about our science-based targets here
