The EPA is expected to formally propose rolling back the 2009 "endangerment finding," the scientific and legal foundation for all U.S. climate regulations under the Clean Air Act. This unprecedented move, pursued for years by right-wing groups, would create major legal and regulatory uncertainty for industries and trigger a lengthy court battle likely to reach the Supreme Court.
Critics argue the administration's draft proposal uses a wide array of scientifically and legally dubious arguments to undermine the finding, including questioning whether global greenhouse gases can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The original finding, mandated by a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, has endured because many industries valued the regulatory stability and level playing field it provided.
Main topics: EPA endangerment finding rollback, legal and regulatory consequences, political and industry reactions, historical context of the finding.