Caption: EPA Chief Zeldin Moves to Repeal Obama-Era ‘Endangerment Finding,’ Hailing It as End of ‘Trillion-Dollar Scam’
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – In a move poised to fundamentally reshape America’s environmental regulatory landscape, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced a formal proposal to rescind the Obama-era “Endangerment Finding” – a 2009 declaration that has served as the bedrock for numerous climate regulations for over a decade. Zeldin, appointed under the current administration, heralded the action as the “largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States” and the “death of the Green New Scam.”
The 2009 Endangerment Finding asserted that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane endanger public health and welfare, thus granting the EPA authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate their emissions. This finding underpinned a vast array of federal rules, from vehicle tailpipe standards to regulations on power plants and landfills.
Speaking from an auto dealership in Indiana, Administrator Zeldin fiercely criticized previous administrations for what he called twisting the law and warping science to impose “hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden taxes every single year” on American families and businesses. He explicitly stated that the Endangerment Finding had been used to justify “over $1 trillion in costly regulations,” including a recent push for electric vehicle mandates that he claims burdened consumers and threatened the auto industry.
“With this proposal, the Trump EPA is proposing to end sixteen years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers,” Zeldin said. “We heard loud and clear the concern that EPA’s GHG emissions standards themselves, not carbon dioxide which the Finding never assessed independently, was the real threat to Americans’ livelihoods.”
The proposed repeal, which has been in the works since the beginning of the current presidency, aims to remove all greenhouse gas standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. This, Zeldin argues, will reinstate consumer choice, lower the cost of living by reducing prices on goods, and revitalize the American auto and trucking industries. The EPA’s proposal also cites updated scientific data that challenge the assumptions behind the 2009 finding.
The move has drawn immediate and fierce condemnation from Democrats and environmental groups, who warn of severe consequences for public health and climate action. Critics argue that rolling back the Endangerment Finding would represent a “radical pivot” in U.S. climate policy, effectively stripping the EPA of its primary tool to regulate greenhouse gases and jeopardizing efforts to combat climate change.
“This is a reckless move that will make Americans less safe and hurt our economy by slowing the growth of affordable clean energy and fueling the heat waves, storms, floods, and wildfires that threaten people’s homes and communities,” stated Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.
The EPA will now open a 45-day period for public comment on the proposal. If finalized, the repeal is expected to trigger a protracted legal battle, with states and environmental organizations already signaling their intent to challenge the decision in court. Regardless of the legal outcome, Administrator Zeldin’s actions mark a profound shift in the federal government’s approach to climate regulation, prioritizing deregulation and economic growth over environmental mandates.
A “trillion-dollar” fraud that was executed during the Obama administration has been revealed by the Trump administration.
The primary principle of the Democrats’ climate deception economy is being dismantled by the Trump administration, along with the trillion-dollar regulatory framework that has hindered the American auto industry and forced working Americans into undesirable and unaffordable electric vehicles.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s intention to revoke the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which provided the legal foundation for a significant increase in greenhouse gas limits on automobiles, trucks, and engines, at a car dealership in Indiana.
Fox Business host Cheryl Casone inquired, “I would like to hear your perspective on another matter. There are emerging questions for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg after he allegedly disregarded safety protocols by constructing windmills near critical infrastructure. This ties into the EPA, so please bear with me. ‘The New York Post’ reported that, ‘At least 33 safety recommendations to position wind turbines well away from critical infrastructure were overruled in 2023 and 2024 according to a current department official, allowing the projects to be constructed close enough to potentially disrupt essential radio communications.’ This issue is not solely about — I mean, the windmill situation is one aspect, you have certainly dealt with this in New York State and the Northeast in general, but it’s the reality that they were neglecting safety and possibly regulatory standards under the previous EPA, under President Biden, to facilitate the construction of these windmills. What is your response to that?”
“I have observed numerous instances where in this windmill discussion, the left has not been truthful in addressing the safety issues, the environmental consequences, and the economic implications. President Trump has been exceedingly clear and consistent in his stance on all of this. What we are learning about the events that transpired during the Biden Administration clearly would not have occurred under a President Trump.
“The recent stories emerging have raised concerns voiced by Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy. Doug Burgum is effectively leading the Department of Interior. Numerous agencies are actively engaging in discussions where we aim to be transparent regarding economic impacts and environmental effects. We intend to address these safety issues openly rather than shy away from them due to fears of confronting climate advocates who insist on increasing wind energy as if it could replace base load power, which it evidently cannot,” Zeldin remarked.
“President Trump recently visited Scotland and described windmills as unattractive, but the implications extend far beyond that. As we have previously discussed, they can indeed be environmentally harmful, despite being marketed as clean energy. In any case, there are numerous questions that remain, and we will need to observe how this situation unfolds,” Casone noted.
“This action revokes the most rigorous elements of Obama’s climate initiative, abolishes the notorious stop-start engine regulation, and dismantles the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate. It sends a powerful message: the era of climate extremism has concluded.
By eliminating regulations that have driven up vehicle costs, disrupted supply chains, and encumbered manufacturers with excessive bureaucracy, Zeldin asserts that this repeal could potentially save Americans more than $54 billion annually.
This action by the EPA aligns with a larger, unified resistance against Green New Deal-like initiatives. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright referred to the repeal as “a significant move towards reinstating sensible policies that enhance access to affordable, dependable, and secure energy while improving the quality of life for all Americans.””
