Trump's EPA Rollbacks to Have Lasting Impact

Agency's aggressive deregulation agenda could outlast the president, experts warn

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration has accelerated its deregulatory agenda, surpassing staff and program cuts made during the previous Trump term. The agency has launched more pollution control rollbacks, including the reversal of the 'endangerment finding' that underpins key climate regulations. Experts warn these changes may be harder to reverse and result in long-lasting impacts on public health and the economy.

Why it matters

The EPA's actions under Trump mark a dramatic shift from the agency's historical bipartisan mission to protect the environment and public health. The reversal of the endangerment finding, in particular, could severely restrict the EPA's ability to enact climate rules long after Trump leaves office, placing the onus on Congress if the U.S. is to pursue pollution reductions.

The details

The EPA has been able to make such quick work this time around by breaking historical precedent and testing the legal boundaries of administrative and environmental laws. Rescinding the endangerment finding is the most consequential change, as it marks the reversal of a key scientific determination that greenhouse gases are harmful, supporting a swath of federal climate policy. The administration wants to get the issue before the Supreme Court, hoping its conservative majority bucks precedent in upholding the repeal. The EPA has also enlisted the help of other branches of government, such as asking Congress to intervene on California's stricter vehicle emission standards, and has found ways to quickly remake policy while sidestepping the formal rulemaking process.

  • In 2025, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions jumped, reversing two previous years of decline, due in part to increased coal production facilitated by the Trump administration.
  • Last February, the EPA took down EJScreen, a free online mapping tool of environmental hazards, and removed a database of corporate risk-management plans.

The players

Lee Zeldin

EPA Administrator who has proudly boasted about 'the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen'.

Joseph Goffman

Assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation under President Joe Biden, who says the administration wants to get the issue of the endangerment finding repeal before the Supreme Court, hoping its conservative majority bucks precedent in upholding the repeal.

Christine Todd Whitman

Former EPA administrator under President George W. Bush and former Republican governor of New Jersey, who says it's 'mind-boggling' how the EPA has become 'the enemy of the environment'.

Romany Webb

Deputy director of Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, who says actions taken 'later in a presidential administration can be more easily reversed'.

Elizabeth Southerland

Former top EPA water official who resigned under Trump's first term, who says the delays in compliance deadlines for Biden-era rules will prolong pollution that was on its way out.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Under President Trump, the EPA is proving what previous administrations refused to accept, that we can protect the environment and drive economic expansion.”

— Brigit Hirsch, EPA Press Secretary (adn.com)

“It's mind-boggling to me how an agency set up by a Republican administration, supported by bipartisanship all the way through, has now become kind of the enemy of the environment. That's a scary thing because it takes a long time to get back.”

— Christine Todd Whitman, Former EPA administrator under President George W. Bush and former Republican governor of New Jersey (adn.com)

“Getting these really big ticket items done early on in administration is very problematic for whoever comes next. Actions taken 'later in a presidential administration can be more easily reversed.”

— Romany Webb, Deputy director of Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (adn.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the EPA to proceed with the repeal of the endangerment finding.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's aggressive deregulation of the EPA is reshaping the agency in ways that could have lasting impacts on the environment and public health, even after the president leaves office. This highlights the need for Congress to act on climate and environmental protections if the gains of previous administrations are to be preserved.