Whitehouse Fires Back as Zeldin Pushes to Gut Endangerment Finding

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), issued the following statement after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin secretly recommended that the White House repeal the endangerment finding, a 2009 EPA scientific finding that greenhouse gases are harmful to human health and welfare.  The endangerment finding underpins greenhouse gas regulations, and repealing it would ignore scientific consensus while in effect gutting emissions standards for vehicles, power plants, airplanes, and more—making it easier to pollute.  

“The only people who benefit from repeal of the endangerment finding are the planet’s biggest polluters.  These fossil fuel megadonors shelled out millions to get Trump elected, and now they’re cashing in on their quid pro quo.  That greenhouse gases harm public health was scientific fact when the endangerment finding was issued in 2009; 16 years later, the evidence has only gotten stronger, and the looming economic harms more dangerous.  Administrator Zeldin testified before Congress that he would respect the science and listen to the experts, but it’s become clear that was a farce.”