Coalition Sues to Block Trump Administration's Move to Repeal Climate Endangerment Finding

Health and environmental groups challenge decision to eliminate rules on vehicle emissions and climate change threat

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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A coalition of health and environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday over its decision to repeal a landmark legal finding that climate change poses a threat to public health and safety. The groups also challenged the administration's move to eliminate all climate rules for motor vehicles, which were repealed along with the endangerment finding.

Why it matters

The endangerment finding provided the legal basis for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and implement climate change policies. Repealing this finding would remove the EPA's primary authority to address climate change through regulations, which the groups argue would have 'disastrous consequences' for public health and the environment.

The details

The lawsuit did not specify the groups' legal arguments, but in public statements they said the administration's actions threaten public health and the environment. The Trump administration had announced it would repeal the endangerment finding, arguing it 'severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers.' However, the EPA acknowledged it lacks the statutory authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for the purpose of addressing climate change without the endangerment finding.

  • The Trump administration announced it would repeal the endangerment finding last week.
  • The coalition of health and environmental groups filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The players

American Public Health Association

A leading organization of public health professionals that advocates for policies to improve public health.

Sierra Club

A prominent environmental advocacy organization that works to address climate change and protect the environment.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The federal agency responsible for regulating environmental protection and enforcing the Clean Air Act.

Trump administration

The presidential administration of former President Donald Trump, which announced the repeal of the endangerment finding.

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What they’re saying

“EPA [the Environmental Protection Agency] has a duty to consider the well-being and safety of all, and the science is clear; climate change and air pollution threaten everyone's health.”

— Georges Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer, American Public Health Association

“The Trump administration's reckless decision to rescind the Endangerment Finding and strip the EPA of its primary authority to regulate greenhouse gases will have disastrous consequences for the American people, our health, and our shared future.”

— Joanne Spalding, Director, Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program

What’s next

The court will now consider the coalition's legal arguments and determine whether to block the Trump administration's repeal of the endangerment finding and associated climate regulations.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the high-stakes battle over the federal government's authority to address climate change, with public health and environmental groups fighting to preserve the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and implement policies to mitigate the threat of global warming.