Several green groups and Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately threatened to sue the Trump administration over its repeal of a cornerstone climate regulation on Thursday. [some emphasis, links added]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday finalized its rescission of the Endangerment Finding, which allowed the agency to regulate greenhouse gases (GHG) under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
President Donald Trump described repealing the finding as the “largest deregulatory action in American history,” and touted that the action would save Americans over a trillion dollars.
On Thursday, Newsom declared on X that “California will fight this lawless action in court”, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) also stated on Thursday that it intends to challenge the decision in court.
A host of other green groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, have said they intend to sue the Trump administration over the Endangerment Finding repeal, with additional lawsuits expected, according to multiple reports.
“EDF will challenge this decision in court, where evidence matters, and keep working with everyone who wants to build a better, safer, and more prosperous future,” EDF President Fred Krupp wrote in a statement Thursday.
The EPA noted that “this final action is only related to GHG emissions and does not affect regulations on any traditional air pollutants” and that repealing the Endangerment Finding “realigns EPA’s regulatory framework with the best reading of the CAA, which does not authorize EPA to regulate GHG emissions from new motor vehicles.”
