EPA Chief Defends Repeal of Climate Endangerment Finding

Zeldin tells climate skeptics they should 'celebrate vindication' after reversal of key climate rule

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:26pm

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A fragmented, abstract painting depicting a cracked gavel in shades of gray, navy, and deep red, conveying a sense of political division and fragmentation around climate policy.The EPA's repeal of the 'endangerment finding' has sparked a legal battle, exposing deep political divisions over climate change regulation.Washington Today

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, defended his decision to repeal the 'endangerment finding' - a scientific conclusion that for 16 years was the central basis for regulating planet-warming emissions. Zeldin told a gathering of climate change skeptics at a Heartland Institute conference that they should 'celebrate vindication' over the reversal of the Obama-era policy.

Why it matters

The repeal of the endangerment finding eliminates the legal underpinning for nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act, potentially unleashing a broader undoing of rules governing emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other sources. This marks a major reversal of traditional environmental policies aimed at addressing climate change.

The details

Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, told the Heartland Institute conference that the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding reversed 'decades of unthinking adherence to liberal politicians and environmental groups about the dangers of climate change.' The Trump administration had argued the finding hurts industry and the economy, and claimed the Obama and Biden administrations twisted science to determine greenhouse gases are a public health risk.

  • In 2009, the EPA made the endangerment finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare.
  • Earlier this year, the EPA revoked the endangerment finding under the Trump administration.

The players

Lee Zeldin

The current Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who is widely believed to be under consideration for a possible promotion to Attorney General.

Heartland Institute

A conservative think tank that rejects mainstream climate science and what it calls 'climate alarmism.'

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What they’re saying

“Today is a moment to celebrate. It is a day to celebrate vindication.”

— Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator

“You were right there on the front lines against there being an endangerment finding in 2009.”

— Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator

What’s next

Legal challenges have been filed by nearly two dozen states, along with cities and public health and environmental groups over the repeal of the endangerment finding.

The takeaway

The EPA's reversal of the endangerment finding marks a major shift away from policies aimed at addressing climate change, reflecting the Trump administration's efforts to prioritize industry interests over environmental protection.