On July 28, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially revealed its plan to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a key policy that declared greenhouse gases a danger to public health. This decision, made under the Trump administration, is being described as one of the biggest rollbacks of environmental regulations in U.S. history.
What Happened on July 28, 2025?
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin held a press briefing announcing the move.
He called the repeal “the largest deregulatory action ever taken in the United States.”
The decision immediately sparked concern among environmental groups, doctors, and climate scientists.
Why Is the 2009 Rule So Important?
The Endangerment Finding was created after the Supreme Court ordered the EPA to study greenhouse gases.
On December 7, 2009, the agency declared gases like carbon dioxide and methane harmful to human health and the climate.
This became the legal foundation for emission standards on vehicles, trucks, and power plants for over 15 years.
What the Repeal Means
- Remove the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions nationwide.
- End mandatory limits on car and truck emissions.
- Weaken or eliminate controls on power plant pollution.
Health Impact: Why Doctors Are Alarmed
Dr. Vin Gupta, a physician and American Lung Association board member, warned that:
- Children with asthma will suffer more from traffic and smog.
- Emergency rooms will see more cases of heat exhaustion as extreme temperatures grow.
- Air pollution deaths, already a leading cause worldwide, could rise further.
He summed it up: “This is nothing but bad news for human health, for our lungs, and for our hearts.”
Why This Date Matters
July 28, 2025, may go down as the day the U.S. stepped back from over a decade of climate and health protections. For millions of Americans, it’s not just a policy debate—it’s about the air they breathe every single day.