President Trump stated that the endangerment finding is big news for the EPA. In terms of negative impacts for climate change regulation, it is a big deal. It was announced that Trump is eliminating the EPA’s Endangerment Findings from 2009. These Endangerment Findings determined that five greenhouse gases, including CO2, are a danger to the public.
As Trump stated at the White House with EPA Lee Zeldin, the Trump Administration will reverse the most regulations in US history. With this, the Trump Administration will remove the ability of the Federal Government to regulate the emissions from automobiles, power plants, and oil and gas facilities.
The Legal “Lynchpin” of Climate Regulation
The Endangerment Findings of 2009 were the first findings that triggered the Obama Administration’s response to a specific Supreme Court ruling on the Endangerment Finding. Obama said the Endangerment Findings were a legal “lynchpin” of the climate regulations they were developing. The Clean Air Act mandates that regulators must control the gases that the EPA classifies as pollutants, and plaintiffs have sued the EPA regarding the Endangerment Findings.
Withdrawing this finding means that the Trump administration will not be requiring the country to limit the warming of the planet. Emissions guidelines for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles have been eliminated, said Administrator Zeldin. “Not a single automaker will have to electrify their fleets” Zeldin said.
Economic Impact and “The Green New Scam”
Trump said the reversal has been a positive impact for both North American consumers and the automobile industry. He described the 2009 ruling as a “disaster” that increased the cost of cars and set the groundwork for what he calls “The Green New Scam”.
Deregulation is expected to the white house to:
- Save $1 trillion in total economic costs.
- Reduce the cost of a car by $2,400.
- Lower energy and transport costs for families in the US.
Many people have defended the decontrol of the industry by arguing that the strict manufacturing regulations in the US have been shifting the manufacturing operations to China and India, where the production is dirtier. They claimed that this has not only failed to remove the emissions, but has also been eliminating American jobs.
Concerns for Health Risks from Obama and Environmentalists
The reversal move has been criticized by Obama for the first time. He stated on social media, the reversal move will make the country “less safe, less healthy, and less able to fight climate change.” It appears it will result in greater profits for the fossil fuel industry.
Environmental groups, like the Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund, are going to sue the government for this decision. Their case will be that this decision will actually cost the people of the United States money in the long run. This decision has been predicted by experts from the above mentioned groups to create the following effects:
- Consumers will pay $1.4 trillion more in fuel costs.
- There will be 58,000 more deaths from unhealthy air.
- There will be 37 million more cases of asthma.
Unintended Legal Consequences
Legal experts say that this decision may be of more help to the other side than the government. By allowing the government to roll back regulations, it will protect the companies from what are called “nuisance” lawsuits. This has been the case because the EPA has been in charge of controlling emissions. This has been what has prevented people from suing companies, because of the federal common law. This is what has prevented people from suing companies because of the federal common law.
Without federal authority, legal experts anticipate a rush of lawsuits in state courts. Attorney Meghan Greenfield said, “I expect states and nonprofit groups to bring suits to figure out the contours of this new law”. Additionally, US automakers could struggle to sell their less fuel-efficient vehicles in foreign markets that have a tighter green law.
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