The Trump Administration’s fossil fuel friendly EPA is proposing to rescind a 2009 finding that greenhouse gases pose a danger to the environment and to public health.
This is despite decades of research showing that the gases, carbon dioxide and methane chief among them, trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, thus contributing to a warming climate and health issues including respiratory and cardiac distress that can result.
The ruling would eliminate any requirement that the agency set GHG emissions standards for vehicles. Automakers and engine manufacturers would be relieved of any responsibility to measure or control GHG emissions for engines and vehicles designed for on-highway use and would no longer have to report GHG emissions to the government.
Th agency is accepting written comments on the proposal through Sept 21 and will hold a “virtual” or on-line public hearing on Aug. 19 and 20.
Instructions for submitting written comment or registering for the virtual hearing can be found here.
The agency said it intends to retain fuel economy testing – but it also is rolling back fuel economy standards – as well as regulations for air toxicity and various criteria pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone at ground level, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. All are components of fossil fuel combustion.
Here’s the official summary of the EPA proposal:
On July 29, 2025, EPA proposed to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. The Endangerment Finding is a prerequisite for regulating emissions from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. Absent this finding, EPA lacks statutory authority under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act to prescribe standards for GHG emissions. Therefore, EPA also proposed to remove GHG regulations for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles
As a result of these proposed changes, engine and vehicle manufacturers would no longer have any future obligations for the measurement, control, and reporting of GHG emissions for any highway engine and vehicle, including model years manufactured prior to this proposal. However, EPA intends to retain, without modification, regulations necessary for criteria pollutant and air toxic measurement and standards, Corporate Average Fuel Economy testing, and associated fuel economy labeling requirements.