POLICY

In what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proudly described as the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” the Environmental Protection Agency has announced sweeping efforts to dismantle key environmental protections in the United States.

The rollback targets a broad range of regulations—from coal-fired power plant emissions and vehicle standards to landmark climate change findings and environmental justice programs. These moves represent a direct attack on decades of environmental progress and could significantly undermine efforts to address the growing climate crisis.

“We are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America’s Golden Age,” 

Zeldin wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

What’s Being Rolled Back—and Why It Matters

If approved after a lengthy rulemaking process that includes public comment, these deregulatory moves would eliminate what Zeldin claims are trillions of dollars in “regulatory costs” and “hidden taxes.” He argues that reducing these costs will lower prices for basic needs like transportation, heating, and business operations.

“Our actions will also reignite American manufacturing, spreading economic benefits to communities,” Zeldin added. “Energy dominance stands at the center of America's resurgence.”

But the consequences of this agenda could be dire. Zeldin revealed plans to roll back 31 environmental rules, including the critical 2009 endangerment finding—a scientific and legal cornerstone for U.S. climate policy.

This finding, established under the Clean Air Act, states that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare. It is the foundation for regulating emissions from vehicles, power plants, and numerous industrial sources.

Environmental advocates say removing this finding would cripple climate action.

“In the face of overwhelming science, it’s impossible to think that the EPA could develop a contradictory finding that would stand up in court,” said David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Attacking Vehicle and Power Plant Standards

Zeldin also announced a rewrite of rules that limit air pollution from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, as well as emission standards for cars and trucks. The Trump administration and Zeldin have misleadingly characterized the clean car rules as an electric vehicle “mandate.”

President Joe Biden had previously celebrated the car standards as a major milestone toward his climate goals, including his target for 50% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be zero-emission by 2030.

The power plant rule under Biden aimed to reduce air pollution, improve public health, and ensure a reliable electricity supply.

Dismantling Protections on Mercury, Soot, Smog, and Waterways

Additional EPA targets include:

• Mercury and air toxin pollution controls
  
  

• Limits on fine particulate matter (soot)
  
  

• The “good neighbor” rule, which prevents smog from drifting across state lines
  
  

• Clean Water Act protections for rivers, streams, and wetlands
  
  

Environmental groups have issued strong warnings.

“The greatest increase in pollution in decades” will result if these rollbacks proceed, according to Amanda Leland, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund. She called Zeldin’s actions an “unlawful attack on the public health of the American people.”

Dismantling Environmental Justice Efforts

In perhaps one of the most alarming developments, Zeldin announced that the EPA will eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and shut down parts of the agency dedicated to environmental justice. These programs were designed to help communities—often low-income and communities of color—that are disproportionately burdened by pollution.

“This isn’t about abandoning environmental protection — it’s about achieving it through innovation and not strangulation,” Zeldin claimed. “By reconsidering rules that throttled oil and gas production and unfairly targeted coal-fired power plants, we are ensuring that American energy remains clean, affordable and reliable.”

However, critics say this signals a return to an era of unchecked pollution.

Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “They can no longer deny climate change is happening, so instead they’re pretending it’s not a threat, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that it is, perhaps, the greatest threat that we face today.”

The Role of Project 2025 and Industry Influence

The rollback efforts are closely tied to Project 2025, a policy blueprint for Trump’s potential second term. The initiative’s co-author, Russell Vought, has argued that climate regulation impacts the national economy and must be curtailed.

“EPA’s regulation of the climate affects the entire national economy — jobs, wages and family budgets,” Vought said.

But legal experts remain skeptical that these efforts will succeed.

“The Trump administration’s ignorance is trumped only by its malice toward the planet,” said Jason Rylander, legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “Come hell and high water, raging fires and deadly heatwaves, Trump and his cronies are bent on putting polluter profits ahead of people’s lives.”

Rylander added: “We’re going to fight it every step of the way.”

Environmental Justice Sacrificed Again

The rollback of environmental justice staff follows the decision to drop a case against a Louisiana petrochemical plant accused of increasing cancer risks in a majority-Black community. Zeldin dismissed environmental justice as a cover for left-wing political activism.

“It has been used primarily as an excuse to fund left-wing activists instead of actually spending those dollars to directly remediate environmental issues for those communities,” he said.

Matthew Tejada, who once led the EPA’s environmental justice office, responded bluntly:

“They’re taking us back to a time of unfettered pollution across the nation, leaving every American exposed to toxic chemicals, dirty air and contaminated water.”

Fossil Fuel Industry Cheers, Lawmakers Alarmed

Fossil fuel lobbyists have welcomed the move. Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration & Production Council, said:

“We are stronger and more secure when we are energy dominant... We support updating these rules so the American people can continue to benefit from affordable, reliable and clean American energy.”

In contrast, Democratic lawmakers are warning of disastrous consequences.

Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey called the actions “a despicable betrayal of the American people.”

“Every day, more Americans lose their jobs, homes and even their lives to worsening climate disasters,” he said. “Trump and Zeldin are making a mockery of those people’s pain. This will have swift and catastrophic ramifications for the environment and health of all Americans.”

What’s Next — And What We Must Do

While none of these rollbacks take immediate effect, they set the stage for a prolonged battle over the future of environmental protection in the United States. These deregulatory moves must undergo formal rulemaking processes, which include public comment periods, environmental reviews, and likely court challenges. That means there is still time to act — but the window is shrinking.

1. Fight Back Through Public Engagement

One of the most powerful tools available right now is public comment. Every proposed regulatory rollback will be published in the Federal Register, opening a required comment period where citizens, scientists, health experts, businesses, and advocacy groups can submit their responses.

📢 What you can do:

• Submit comments on proposed rule changes through regulations.gov. Personalize your comment — describe how pollution or climate change affects you and your community.
  
  

• Sign up for alerts from environmental organizations or legal defense funds to be notified when public comments open.
  
  

• Encourage others to comment. Public pressure works — especially when it is large, loud, and fact-based.

2. Support Legal Action to Block Rollbacks

Many of these actions — such as eliminating the 2009 endangerment finding — will not withstand legal scrutiny. Experts across the political spectrum agree that trying to deny the scientific basis of climate change is not only reckless, but likely unlawful under the Clean Air Act and existing Supreme Court precedent.

⚖️ What you can do:

• Donate to or support groups that litigate on behalf of the environment, such as Earthjustice, the NRDC, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
  
  

• Follow the court cases and help raise awareness about them on social media or in your community.
  
  

• Contact your state attorney general and ask them to challenge federal rollbacks in court. Many states already do this, but public support bolsters their efforts.

3. Demand State and Local Action

Even if federal protections are weakened, state governments and local municipalities can still pass and enforce strong environmental laws. California, New York, Washington, and others have often led the way on clean air, climate, and water standards — and now that leadership is more critical than ever.

🏛️ What you can do:

• Call your governor, state legislators, and local officials. Urge them to uphold or strengthen environmental protections within your state or city.
  
  

• Vote for candidates in state and local races who support climate action, clean energy, and environmental justice.
  
  

• Support state clean car rules that may come under federal attack.

4. Organize, Educate, Mobilize

This is a moment to get louder, not quieter. While the administration frames these rollbacks as pro-growth or pro-energy, the reality is that they risk exposing more Americans — especially vulnerable communities — to toxic pollution, worsening climate disasters, and long-term health risks.

📚 What you can do:

• Host or attend community meetings to raise awareness about the rollback efforts and their potential effects.
  
  

• Educate others, especially young people, about the value of environmental protections and the truth about climate science.
  
  

• Use social media to debunk misinformation and spread factual, science-based content.
  
  

• Join or start local advocacy groups focusing on clean energy, conservation, environmental justice, or sustainable development.

5. Push for a National Climate and Environmental Justice Framework

The long-term solution is not just to resist rollbacks, but to institutionalize strong environmental policies that can withstand political swings. That means demanding durable federal laws that:

• Codify the endangerment finding into law.
  
  

• Strengthen and expand the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
  
  

• Establish a national framework for environmental justice, with legal protections and funding for impacted communities.
  
  

• Commit the U.S. to binding climate goals, clean energy transition, and emissions reductions aligned with the latest IPCC science.
  
  

🗳️ What you can do:

• Vote in every election, from city council to president. Environmental policy is shaped at every level.
  
  

• Contact your U.S. representatives and senators to urge passage of new environmental legislation and defend existing laws.
  
  

• Support a Green New Deal-style policy package that connects climate action with economic and racial justice.
  
  

This Is a Defining Moment

History will remember what we did in the face of a climate emergency and political sabotage. These rollbacks are not just regulatory tweaks — they represent a sweeping assault on science, public health, environmental equity, and the future of our planet. But they are not inevitable.

With public action, legal resistance, and policy reform, we can counter this threat. We can protect what has already been won — and build something stronger, cleaner, and more just.

The future is not yet written. Let’s fight for it. 

We must stay vigilant. Environmental protection is not just policy—it is survival.