The most significant news this week from the Environmental Protection Agency is a sweeping move by Administrator Lee Zeldin to roll back greenhouse gas emissions standards, a shift described as the largest deregulatory action in the agency’s history. The EPA is proposing to repeal the Obama Administration’s 2015 New Source Performance Standards and the Biden-era 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards for fossil-fuel power plants. Additionally, the EPA published a proposal that would rescind all GHG emission standards for vehicles from 2012 onward and overturn the foundational 2009 Endangerment Finding, which underpins federal climate regulations.

According to the EPA’s announcement, these steps follow directives under President Trump’s new executive order “Unleashing American Energy.” The administration argues that the current greenhouse gas regulations found in the Clean Air Act place unnecessary burdens on American energy development, particularly coal, oil, gas, and other domestic resources. EPA proposes a reinterpretation requiring a “significant contribution” finding before regulating power plant emissions and claims fossil-fuel power plants do not significantly add to regulated air pollution. If finalized, this would eliminate federal GHG limits for the power sector and for new vehicles, rolling back more than a decade of climate policy.

This means new projects, especially in power generation and automotive manufacturing, could proceed with fewer restrictions. The EPA also prioritized a review of chemicals used in expanding data centers, supporting American tech manufacturing, but this news has taken a back seat to the dramatic climate deregulatory push.

Administrator Zeldin stated, “We’re empowering American workers and restoring common sense to national energy policy.” Yet, many experts and lawmakers are raising concerns. Representative Ayanna Pressley warned in a recent hearing that weakening EPA air standards could cost up to 200,000 American lives each year through increased air pollution.

For everyday Americans, these changes could translate to higher exposure to air pollution, particularly in urban and industrialized areas, raising public health and environmental justice concerns. State and local governments may now face more pressure to regulate pollution themselves. Businesses in the energy and automotive sectors may benefit from reduced federal oversight, but companies focused on clean technology may see their incentives erode. International allies committed to reducing emissions could view this as the U.S. stepping away from global climate leadership, potentially impacting diplomatic and trade relations.

Legal challenges are expected. Environmental groups, some state attorneys general, and major cities are preparing lawsuits to block or delay the rollbacks. The Department of Energy, meanwhile, has released its own review of greenhouse gas effects and opened the findings to public comment for the next 30 days—a window for citizens to weigh in.

Listeners who care about these changes can submit comments directly to the EPA or engage with local representatives. The next steps include public hearings and a likely surge of court battles as these proposals move closer to becoming law.

For more resources or to make your voice heard, check the EPA’s website or contact your local environmental advocacy group. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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