EPA to Overturn 2009 Climate Finding on Greenhouse-Gas Emissions as Trump Pursues Sweeping Deregulation

The Trump administration is preparing to dismantle a central pillar of federal climate regulation this week, moving to repeal the Obama-era “endangerment finding” that determined greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare. According to reports citing Environmental Protection Agency officials, the action would strip away the legal foundation underpinning federal limits on vehicle and power plant emissions, marking what the administration describes as an unprecedented rollback of environmental regulation.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has characterized the planned repeal as potentially “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States,” with a final rule expected as early as Wednesday, according to reports.

The endangerment finding, finalized in 2009 under the Clean Air Act, concluded that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger human health by driving climate change, including rising global temperatures, more extreme weather events, and deteriorating air quality. That determination has since served as the legal basis for a wide range of federal climate policies, including vehicle fuel economy standards and emissions limits on power plants.

The EPA first proposed repealing the finding in July 2025. Since January 7, 2026, the rule has been under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget, signaling that the process was nearing completion.