President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have finalized a rule rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a sweeping move the White House calls the single largest deregulatory action in United States history. The decision eliminates all federal greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles and engines that were built on that finding.
The administration projects the reversal will save Americans more than $1.3 trillion in regulatory costs over time. According to the EPA, the rule eliminates future obligations for manufacturers to measure, control, or report greenhouse gas emissions for highway vehicles and applies retroactively to certain prior model years. Officials estimate the change could lower vehicle prices by an average of $2,400 per vehicle while restoring what they describe as consumer choice in the marketplace.
The action applies strictly to greenhouse gases and does not alter existing regulations governing traditional air pollutants such as smog or soot. Administration officials emphasized that standards tied to public health concerns unrelated to climate policy remain in place.
The EPA’s new determination hinges on a reevaluation of Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. Administrator Zeldin concluded that Congress did not intend for the statute to authorize the agency to regulate global climate change through vehicle emissions standards. The agency further argued that prior greenhouse gas regulations had no measurable impact on global temperature trends and imposed heavy compliance costs on manufacturers and consumers.
The 2009 Endangerment Finding, adopted during the Obama administration, determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases posed a threat to public health and welfare. That finding became the legal foundation for a broad expansion of federal climate regulations, including strict vehicle emissions rules that accelerated the auto industry’s shift toward electrification.
“The Endangerment Finding was a disastrous policy that damaged the American auto industry,” Trump said during remarks in the Roosevelt Room. “We are bringing car prices tumbling down by eliminating this red tape.” The administration framed the move as part of a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens and strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Republican lawmakers and industry groups quickly praised the decision. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Shelley Moore Capito called it transformative for energy-producing states. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said ending the finding unleashes American energy and makes goods more affordable. Industry organizations including the American Trucking Associations and the American Petroleum Institute also welcomed the shift, arguing it allows for more achievable standards and preserves access to gas-powered vehicles.
Environmental groups are expected to challenge the rule in federal court, setting up a high-stakes legal battle over the scope of EPA authority under the Clean Air Act. The administration maintains that major climate policy decisions should be made by Congress rather than imposed through agency rulemaking.
The post Trump Ends Federal Emission Standards For Vehicles In Historic Deregulatory Move appeared first on Real News Now.
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