The Donald Trump administration officially announced it would repeal the "endangerment finding" on fossil fuels that has served as the basis for greenhouse gas regulations.
On the 12th (local time), President Trump said in a joint announcement at the White House with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, "In accordance with the process the EPA has just completed, we are officially terminating the 'endangerment finding,'" adding it is "the largest deregulation by a single action in U.S. history."
The "endangerment finding," established in 2009 under the Barack Obama administration, is a federal government conclusion that six greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. It has served as the foundation for climate change policies regulating vehicle fuel economy standards and power plant greenhouse gas emissions.
However, with the Trump administration formally scrapping this measure, regulations on cars, factories, and power plants that use fossil fuels are expected to be greatly eased.
Trump said, "This measure will eliminate more than $1.3 trillion in regulatory expense, causing car prices to drop sharply," adding, "You can get a better car."
He went on to emphasize, "Fossil fuels have saved millions of lives worldwide over generations and lifted billions of people out of poverty."
Meanwhile, with environmental groups signaling lawsuits, legal battles over the measure are expected to continue.