While the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Endangerment Finding was established in 2009— providing science-based evidence that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are harmful to public health and working to decrease emissions from power plants, vehicles and other polluting industries— the Trump administration has proposed rescinding it, a move climate advocates note puts Americans’ welfare at risk.
If the proposal is approved, various GHG emission regulations placed on motor vehicles and engines will be revoked, even though transportation is the leading contributor to these emissions, accounting for 28% of them.
“With the withdrawal of the endangerment finding, it’s certainly possible that we would see all vehicle emission standards of greenhouse gases instantly go away,” said Chris Field, director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, during an Aug. 21 media briefing regarding the proposal. “It is really important that there be a uniform standard, and the endangerment finding has been a foundation for providing that.”
In 2007, Massachusetts and 11 other states presented a lawsuit to the EPA, demanding the agency take steps toward reducing GHG emissions. The Supreme Court ruled that these heat-trapping gases are considered air pollutants, which later led to the establishment of the Endangerment Finding. The gases covered by the Obama-era finding are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
According to the EPA’s Climate Change Indicators, carbon dioxide emissions decreased in the U.S. from 5.5 million metric tons to 5.1 million metric tons between 2009 and 2022. While this reduction isn’t enormous, it shows progress, which could be a result of the precautionary measures taken to curb air pollution due to the findings.
“Global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are still rising as a result of rapid economic development in many countries around the world,” Field said.
The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research found that between 1990 and 2022, GHG emissions worldwide increased by 8.3%, meaning there’s still a need for preventative initiatives to protect the Earth’s atmosphere and hinder global warming.
“But the U.S. and other rich countries are mostly now in a period of gradual decline in greenhouse gas emissions associated with locally strong and in some cases, effective regulations that really lead the way to eventually reaching net zero emissions,” Field continued.
Air Pollution to Surge if Regulations are Revoked
If the Endangerment Finding is rolled back, the burning of fossil fuels will potentially increase, worsening pollution and decreasing air quality across the U.S.
Further, Without the finding’s regulations, particle pollution, the emission of solids and liquids into the air by pollutant industries like power plants and vehicles, could increase.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), poor air quality is a threat to both children and adults, causing symptoms including: wheezing and coughing, shortness of breath, asthma attacks and lung cancer. Worsening air quality and potentially rolled-back regulations could be detrimental to the health of Black communities as well, since residential segregation has caused many to live closer to power plants and other polluters.
“This decision would not only stall American technological progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also disproportionately impact those who are most vulnerable to air pollution, including children, older adults and pregnant women,” the ALA said in a statement. “We urge EPA not to move forward with this harmful action and to instead prioritize the health and well-being of all communities.”
If the Trump administration’s proposal is approved and GHG emissions increase, then so will Earth’s temperature, causing severe weather that brings forth more health complications. Environmental advocates note that measures that help prevent rising temperatures are currently crucial, as 2024 was the hottest year since 1850, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) annual Global Climate Report.
Dr. Jeremy Hess, an emergency medicine physician and professor at the medical and public health schools at the University of Washington, speaking at the Aug. 21 briefing, emphasized that increased exposure to climate-induced hazards results in increased human health impacts.
“And those human health impacts vary by hazard, so for heat, for instance, we see increases in heat-related illnesses, heat exhaustion, heat stroke,” Hess said, “but heat also worsens a number of chronic diseases by stressing the body’s systems.”
Renewable Energy Progress at Risk
Rolling back the Endangerment Finding would also create uncertainty among industries that rely on stable, nationwide rules.
Field expressed concerns about a decline in progress in the renewable energy sector, especially since landfill gases (LFG) are mostly regulated on the state level and can be converted into alternative energy sources.
“[Landfill] gas emissions can actually be an important source of income for landfills that are operating conscientiously,” Field said.
Instead of being released into the atmosphere, LFG can be captured and collected through vertical and horizontal piping buried in a municipal solid waste landfill. Afterwards, the gas is processed and undergoes three different treatments to make it eligible for use.
The primary treatment removes moisture and moves the gas through a vapor-liquid separator, a filter and then a blower. In the second treatment, additional moisture and sulfur are removed and the LFG is compressed if needed. In the final treatment, any remaining impurities are removed, the gas is compressed again and it is ready to be used as an alternative energy source.
Field emphasized that keeping the Endangerment Finding intact is crucial to continue its role as a cornerstone of climate action.
“[The] withdrawal of the endangerment finding doesn’t change the EPA’s responsibility to regulate criteria pollutants,” Field said, “but it means that the legal foundation for regulating greenhouse gases goes away.”
