Trump to Scrap Greenhouse Gas Regulation Basis This Week...Environmental Groups Push Back Immediately

Step Toward Easing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations
Trump Administration: "Efforts to Lower Electricity Rates"
More Than $2,400 in Cost Savings Expected Per Vehicle
One of the Policies Aimed at Achieving Price Stability
Environmental Groups Vow to File Lawsuits

Trump Donald, President of the United States. Yonhap News

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will abolish this week the "endangerment finding," which has served as the legal basis for greenhouse gas regulations. Various regulations on vehicles and power plants that use fossil fuels are expected to be eliminated or eased.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 10th (local time), the Trump administration plans to announce in the latter half of this week the repeal of the "endangerment finding," which was established in 2009 under the Barack Obama administration.

The endangerment finding is a federal-level conclusion that six types of greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. It has served as a core benchmark for various U.S. climate policies, including regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and fuel economy standards for vehicles.

Once the endangerment finding is repealed, federal-level obligations for measurement, reporting, certification, and compliance related to automotive greenhouse gas emissions will disappear. Although it does not directly apply to emissions regulations for stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, the WSJ reported that it will pave the way for regulatory easing.

On his inauguration day last year, President Trump ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review whether the endangerment finding should be maintained and to submit a report, and the EPA concluded in July last year that it should be repealed. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin praised the move in an interview with the WSJ as "the largest deregulation in U.S. history."

The Trump administration expects that the move will generate more than 1 trillion dollars in deregulation benefits and achieve cost savings of more than 2,400 dollars per vehicle.

Environmental groups, in response, have stated that they will immediately file lawsuits once the repeal of the endangerment finding is announced. The Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization, criticized the decision, saying, "Repealing the endangerment finding eliminates part of the most essential means of protecting people from pollution that causes climate change," and accused the Trump administration of driving the American people toward dangerous air quality.

The WSJ pointed out that the repeal of the endangerment finding, which is being seen as the broadest rollback in U.S. climate policy, could create new uncertainties for global companies. They may face a confusing situation in which they are subject to relatively lax standards in the United States but relatively stricter regulations outside the United States.

In addition, if federal-level regulations disappear, individual states may introduce their own regulations, and companies could become embroiled in legal disputes. With the midterm elections in November approaching and needing achievements on price stability, the Trump administration is expected to take several additional related measures this week beyond the repeal of the endangerment finding, the WSJ reported.

On the 11th, President Trump plans to sign at the White House an executive order requiring the Department of Defense to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants, together with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Administrator Zeldin. The administration also plans to provide funding for facility upgrades at five coal-fired power plants in areas such as Ohio, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

In an interview with the WSJ, Secretary Wright said that President Trump’s efforts to revive the coal industry would help the United States achieve its artificial intelligence (AI) industry goals and curb increases in electricity rates, adding, "Our goal is to lower energy prices for Americans."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.