Maine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is blasting the Trump administration’s decision to revoke a scientific finding that supports government efforts to combat climate change.
Pingree says rescinding the “Endangerment Finding” ignores science and will unleash massive pollution.
“Revoking the Endangerment Finding will kneecap the federal government’s ability to fight climate change—now and in the future,” said Pingree in a statement Tuesday. “By claiming that climate change poses no threat to public health, President Trump and (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee) Zeldin are making ignorance and denial the official climate policy of the U.S., while allowing the world’s biggest polluters to continue destroying our planet.”
The administration’s decision must go through a review process before it’s finalized and will likely face legal challenges.
The Endangerment Finding published 16 years ago determined that six greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and must be regulated under the Clean Air Act.
It followed the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Massachusetts v. EPA case which stated greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency released a statement Tuesday, saying it’s proposal would “repeal all resulting greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines, thereby reinstating consumer choice and giving Americans the ability to purchase a safe and affordable car for their family while decreasing the cost of living on all products that trucks deliver.”
The statement said the proposal, if finalized, is “expected to save Americans $54 billion in costs annually through the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards.”
