The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to retract a pivotal scientific determination this week that has supported U.S. climate policies and the government’s capacity to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
The White House declared that on Thursday, President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will officially withdraw the 2009 endangerment finding from the Obama administration.
Zeldin has previously asserted that eliminating the Endangerment Finding and its associated regulations could remove over $1 trillion in “hidden taxes” affecting American businesses and families.
The Trump administration initiated the repeal of the Endangerment Finding last July, which has enabled presidential administrations since 2009 to regulate six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
Once finalized, this measure could eliminate the EPA’s regulations on greenhouse gases for medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and engines, including standards established in 2011 and those set to be implemented over the next decade. The EPA has previously stated its intent to review its GHG standards separately.
The repeal of the endangerment finding is likely to provoke legal challenges from various environmental organizations.
Understanding GHG3
In 2024, the EPA introduced stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks for model years 2027 through 2032. The lengthy final rule specified that 25% of new heavy trucks sold in the U.S. must be zero-emission by 2032.
In March, Zeldin announced plans to reconsider the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3 (GHG3) final rule and review elements of the Biden administration’s “Clean Trucks Plan,” which encompasses the 2022 Heavy-Duty Nitrous Oxide (NOx) regulation.
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear criticized the GHG Phase 3 rule as “disastrous,” asserting that the electric-truck mandate could lead to economic downfall for the trucking industry, jeopardizing the supply chain, disrupting deliveries, and increasing costs for American families and businesses.
