EPA Chief Defends Repeal of Climate Regulation Basis Amid Controversy

Wed Apr 08 2026 19:11:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a keynote address at a climate skeptic conference, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin praised the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding, a scientific basis for climate regulations, igniting criticism from environmentalists.

During the Heartland Institute conference in Washington, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding, declaring it a victory for climate change skeptics. This controversial move eliminates a key basis for federal climate regulations and has drawn ire from environmentalists, who argue it undermines public health and safety amid increasing climate-related disasters. Zeldin's remarks highlight the growing tension between regulatory rollback and environmental protection.

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 told the gathering 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 who is widely believed to be under consideration for a possible promotion to attorney general, following the forced departure of Pam Bondi last week.

The EPA earlier this year revoked the endangerment finding, a scientific conclusion that for 16 years was the central basis for regulating planet-warming emissions from power plants, vehicles and other sources. The Trump administration argued the finding hurts industry and the economy and claimed the Obama and Biden administrations twisted science to determine that greenhouse gases are a public health risk.

Zeldin’s prominent appearance at a conference hosted by a group deeply skeptical of established climate science reflected the vast reversal that President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out of traditional policies meant to protect the environment. The EPA has rolled back dozens of air and water protections and has said it does not have legal authority to regulate climate change.

Environmentalists denounced Zeldin’s appearance before the conservative group, accusing him of “rallying climate deniers” at a time when climate change is creating greater risks of extreme weather, including stronger hurricanes, more dangerous floods, and more intense wildfires.

“Zeldin’s speech promotes disinformation” and amounts to doing the bidding of Heartland’s secretive donors, said Joe Bonfiglio, an executive with the Environmental Defense Fund.

According to experts, the repeal eliminates crucial greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities. Legal challenges have been filed by nearly two dozen states, along with public health and environmental groups.