A U.S. Senate committee tasked with conserving and protecting the country's resources has reached out to dozens of corporations as part of an investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding — which concluded that six heat-trapping gases endangered the health and well-being of future generations.
What's happening?
In July, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin submitted plans to rescind the finding that carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride threaten public health. Now, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works is pushing back against this proposal, as reported by the Guardian.
Ranking committee member Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democratic Senator from Rhode Island, called the EPA proposal "irresponsible" and questioned the involvement of fossil fuel companies, certain manufacturers, and their trade organizations in the drafting of the proposal.
The committee called on at least 24 oil companies, law firms, and trade associations to hand over their Endangerment Finding-related documents from November 2024, when President Donald Trump was elected for his second term, to July, when Zeldin made his announcement. Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP were among the oil giants that received the letter.
"The American public deserves to understand your role in advancing EPA's dangerous decision," Whitehouse wrote, according to the Guardian.
Why is this important?
The Endangerment Finding does not hold any regulatory power in itself. However, it was a prerequisite for applying emissions standards to vehicles and other polluting sectors.
For its part, Zeldin's EPA presents its proposal as a way to revitalize the auto industry and reinstate consumer choice, since companies could manufacture vehicles without any need to adhere to emissions regulations, saving Americans $54 billion in regulatory costs.
However, critics say the proposal essentially kicks the can down the road in regard to cost, as it ignores decades' worth of scientific evidence indicating that human activities are causing Earth to warm at a dangerous rate and will throttle the country's ability to hold polluters accountable.
"Greenhouse-gas driven climate change is driving extreme weather, flooding, erosion, sea-level rise, heat waves, drought, catastrophic wildfires, famine, smog pollution, and other disasters," the Democratic Caucus wrote to Zeldin, calling the proposal an "abdication of EPA's duty."
"These effects drive illness, hospital visits, and deaths, as well as displacement, asset loss, infrastructure damage, rising insurance premiums, declining home values, and long-term destabilization of the national economy," they added.
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Definitely 👍 What happens next?
Public health is a bipartisan issue, and in other recent cases, coalitions from across political lines have come together to advocate for stronger protections from the EPA.
As for the Environment & Public Works committee's letter, it is not an official subpoena, as the Guardian reports. However, it could put polluting companies on notice that they are being watched — and the committee expects recipients of the letter to respond.
The period for public comment on the Endangerment Finding rescindment ended Sept. 22.
If you want to make your voice heard, you can reach out to your representatives. You can also participate during windows for public comment on similar matters and use your purchasing power to communicate to companies that taking eco-friendly action is profitable.
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