EPA Leader Lee Zeldin plans to rescind the Obama-era rule that augmented energy costs for years, considered a significant milestone in environmental policy.
In a speech at an Indianapolis auto dealership, Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin announced his plans to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a move that has sparked debate and criticism.
Zeldin, who is currently running for Governor of New York, claimed that the Obama and Biden Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) twisted the law, ignored precedent, and warped science to achieve their ends. He argued that this finding led to higher energy costs for more than a decade and was responsible for the destruction of half of the US coal industry, soaring electricity prices, and nearly doubling the average car price.
The Endangerment Finding, an Obama-era emissions finding that underpinned $1 trillion in regulations, determined that certain emissions, primarily from cars, were threatening to the "public health and welfare of current and future generations." This finding allowed the Obama and Biden administrations to regulate emissions by various types of vehicles under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.
If Zeldin's proposal is successful, it would rescind the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations, potentially saving American consumers up to $54 billion in annual costs.
Chris Spear, the President of the American Trucking Association, joined Zeldin at the event and stated that the electric-truck mandate would have negatively impacted the trucking industry and supply chain. He also mentioned that the mandate would have hindered innovation in reducing emissions at lower costs.
Steve Milloy, an adviser to Trump's EPA transition team, echoed these sentiments, questioning where those affected by these issues can seek redress from a climate-hoaxed federal government.
Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), have criticized Zeldin's move, calling it a "despicable betrayal of the American people." Pallone accused Zeldin and the Trump administration of prioritizing corporate polluters over public health and the environment.
Several recent US Supreme Court cases have aided Zeldin in limiting the EPA's regulatory authority, including scrapping emissions standards for coal and gas power plants. The White House Office of Management and Budget is planning on addressing the rescission of the Obama-era finding at other agencies.
Zeldin promised to "end sixteen years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers" with his decision. The impact of this proposal remains to be seen, but it is clear that it will continue to be a topic of discussion in the ongoing debate about energy policy and environmental regulation in the United States.
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