{"id":367873,"date":"2025-02-27T08:48:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T07:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=367873"},"modified":"2025-02-27T08:48:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T07:48:22","slug":"breaking-epa-reportedly-urges-trump-to-repeal-endangerment-finding-washington-post-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=367873","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: EPA Reportedly Urges Trump to Repeal Endangerment Finding, Washington Post Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Charles Rotter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Washington Post published a report today stating that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advised the Trump administration to repeal the 2009 \u201cendangerment finding,\u201d which classifies greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare. This finding has underpinned federal emissions regulations for over a decade. The Post suggests that such a move, if enacted, would mark a significant shift in U.S. climate policy. The story relies on unnamed sources, leaving its claims unverified but noteworthy given the potential implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Post article indicates that Trump administration officials are evaluating whether to reverse the endangerment finding, a determination first made under the Obama administration and later used by the Biden administration to impose limits on vehicle and power plant emissions. The report cites \u201cthree individuals briefed on the matter\u201d who mention Mandy Gunasekara, a former EPA chief of staff and contributor to Project 2025, and Jonathan Brightbill, a former Justice Department official, as advisors involved in the effort. On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order directing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to assess the finding\u2019s \u201clegality and continuing applicability\u201d within 30 days, with recommendations submitted to Russell Vought at the Office of Management and Budget. The EPA has not released these recommendations, and spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou declined to comment beyond confirming compliance with the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the Washington Post bases its account on three anonymous individuals rather than named officials or documented evidence. The absence of specific documentation or on-the-record statements from Gunasekara, Brightbill, or others named in the story leaves the report\u2019s foundation uncertain, though not necessarily inaccurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2009 endangerment finding, upheld by a 2007 Supreme Court ruling affirming the EPA\u2019s authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, has long been a target for critics of federal climate policy. During Trump\u2019s first term, skeptics petitioned the EPA to repeal it, but the obstructionist bureaucrats at the agency stalled in opposition to Trump, finally, successfully, rejecting the petition on Trump\u2019s last day in 2021, citing legal constraints. This time around the Trump administration has clearly learned from the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current administration\u2019s early actions, including the executive order, suggest a renewed interest in revisiting this issue. Figures like Tom Pyle of the American Energy Alliance and Myron Ebell of the American Lands Council, quoted by the Post, support the idea, arguing it could ease regulatory burdens and facilitate challenges to Biden-era rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reversing the finding would face hurdles. Environmental attorney Sean Donahue, cited in the Post, contends that the scientific record supporting the endangerment determination\u2014built over decades\u2014would likely withstand legal challenges to a repeal. Previous court decisions have reinforced the EPA\u2019s mandate, and any rollback could trigger litigation from environmental groups, but unlike Trump\u2019s first term, Trump will have a DOJ that supports him in litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, repealing the endangerment finding would undermine the legal basis for many existing climate regulations, potentially affecting emissions standards for vehicles, power plants, and other sectors. Critics of the finding, including many contributors to this site, have long questioned its scientific grounding, pointing to massive uncertainties in climate models and historical data.

Without the finding, the EPA\u2019s authority to regulate greenhouse gases could be sharply curtailed, shifting the policy landscape significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Post\u2019s report, if confirmed, could reshape federal climate efforts. Its reliance on anonymous sources, however, warrants caution. The story\u2019s plausibility is supported by the administration\u2019s prior actions and the involvement of known policy advisors, yet the lack of concrete evidence\u2014such as a leaked document or named official\u2014keeps it in the realm of speculation for now. Observers should watch for further confirmation. Until then, this remains an intriguing but unproven claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Washington Post published a report today stating that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advised the Trump administration to repeal the 2009 \u201cendangerment finding,\u201d which classifies greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare. This finding has underpinned federal emissions regulations for over a decade. The Post suggests that such a move, if enacted, would mark a significant shift in U.S. climate policy. The story relies on unnamed sources, leaving its claims unverified but noteworthy given the potential implications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":367877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691833542,691821464,691833091,691818668,691832798,691833487],"class_list":{"0":"post-367873","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-endangerment-finding","9":"tag-environmental-protection-agency-epa","10":"tag-epa-administrator-lee-zeldin","11":"tag-the-washington-post","12":"tag-u-s-climate-policy","13":"tag-us-president-donald-j-trump","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/080555212007-ap-25016617641649.webp?fit=1320%2C880&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1xHr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":427181,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427181","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":0},"title":"EPA endangerment finding repeal & Potomac River sewage crisis","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"20\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In Episode 542 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses two trending news stories: the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding and the Trump administration stepping in to resolve the Potomac River sewage crisis that began on January 19th, 2026. Tune in to learn more!","rel":"","context":"In \"Advance Historic Deregulation\u2060\"","block_context":{"text":"Advance Historic Deregulation\u2060","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=advance-historic-deregulation%e2%81%a0"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0CFACT-EPA.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0CFACT-EPA.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0CFACT-EPA.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0CFACT-EPA.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0CFACT-EPA.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":426833,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=426833","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":1},"title":"Endangerment Finding Rescission Victory for Science and Law","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"18\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Trump administration, finalized a rule rescinding the 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-12-184328-1.png?fit=1033%2C937&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-12-184328-1.png?fit=1033%2C937&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-12-184328-1.png?fit=1033%2C937&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-12-184328-1.png?fit=1033%2C937&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":427141,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427141","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":2},"title":"EPA\u2019s elegant arguments for endangerment repeal","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"20\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"EPA\u2019s arguments for repealing the Obama endangerment finding are simple, clear, and strong. So, they have a likely chance of winning in the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), which is where the final decision will be made.","rel":"","context":"In \"automobiles\"","block_context":{"text":"automobiles","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=automobiles"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-100410.png?fit=1092%2C937&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-100410.png?fit=1092%2C937&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-100410.png?fit=1092%2C937&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-100410.png?fit=1092%2C937&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-100410.png?fit=1092%2C937&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":425995,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425995","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":3},"title":"Trump and Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On February 12, 2026, President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced what they described as the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. This occurred during an event in the White House Roosevelt Room. The core of the action is the EPA's final rule repealing the 2009 Greenhouse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"American dream\"","block_context":{"text":"American dream","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=american-dream"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQN0KhAmYkjSkAWpPLnH2R5K_gRWQqHTkycKyB7IWN58whr3XAQiPIsaYYmy-wd0-RKF3dLXpuzrDFKe5EgG8Fyoa5fyVLiEZ5zM6CotN7PsOLjZ3xujIDJ7zRDkhCXQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQN0KhAmYkjSkAWpPLnH2R5K_gRWQqHTkycKyB7IWN58whr3XAQiPIsaYYmy-wd0-RKF3dLXpuzrDFKe5EgG8Fyoa5fyVLiEZ5zM6CotN7PsOLjZ3xujIDJ7zRDkhCXQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQN0KhAmYkjSkAWpPLnH2R5K_gRWQqHTkycKyB7IWN58whr3XAQiPIsaYYmy-wd0-RKF3dLXpuzrDFKe5EgG8Fyoa5fyVLiEZ5zM6CotN7PsOLjZ3xujIDJ7zRDkhCXQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQN0KhAmYkjSkAWpPLnH2R5K_gRWQqHTkycKyB7IWN58whr3XAQiPIsaYYmy-wd0-RKF3dLXpuzrDFKe5EgG8Fyoa5fyVLiEZ5zM6CotN7PsOLjZ3xujIDJ7zRDkhCXQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQN0KhAmYkjSkAWpPLnH2R5K_gRWQqHTkycKyB7IWN58whr3XAQiPIsaYYmy-wd0-RKF3dLXpuzrDFKe5EgG8Fyoa5fyVLiEZ5zM6CotN7PsOLjZ3xujIDJ7zRDkhCXQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":427384,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427384","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":4},"title":"Climate and Energy Experts Praise Trump\u2019s Endangerment Finding Repeal","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Trump have rescinded the greenhouse gas Endangerment Finding for vehicles.\u00a0Climate Realism\u00a0has long maintained that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, and we applaud this decision.","rel":"","context":"In \"American Energy Institute\"","block_context":{"text":"American Energy Institute","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=american-energy-institute"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-353.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-353.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-353.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-353.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-353.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":426214,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=426214","url_meta":{"origin":367873,"position":5},"title":"Trump Administration Ends Obama-Era Climate Finding, Repeals Vehicle GHG Standards","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin and alongside President Trump, finalized a major rule that revokes the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, a landmark Obama-era determination that greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide endanger public health and welfare. 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