In brief
In a controversial keynote address to climate change skeptics, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding, which previously laid the framework for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentalists criticized the decision, stating it promotes disinformation and neglects growing climate threats. Zeldin's appearance marked a significant shift in environmental policy under the Trump administration, prioritizing industry interests over climate science.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday defended his decision to repeal the legal determination that serves as the basis for federal rules to slow climate change, telling a gathering of climate change skeptics that they should 'celebrate vindication.' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made the remarks in the keynote address at a conference hosted by the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank that rejects mainstream climate science and what it calls 'climate alarmism.' Zeldin stated 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. 'Today is a day to celebrate. It is a day to celebrate vindication,' said Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York. This prominent appearance at a conference of skeptics reflects the Trump administration’s reversal of traditional environmental policies, rolling back numerous protections for air and water. Environmentalists denounced Zeldin's comments, claiming they promote disinformation during a time of increasing climate threats such as extreme weather and wildfires. The $800 million endangerment finding, which determined greenhouse gases threaten public health, had supported nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act.
