A coalition of health and environmental groups sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday over its decision to revoke the scientific finding that forms the basis of U.S. climate regulations.
The legal challenge filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also challenges the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision announced last week to repeal tailpipe rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. The groups suing include the Center for Biological Diversity, American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen and Sierra Club.
The EPA on Thursday said it would repeal the 17-year-old endangerment finding and also ended federal greenhouse gas emission standards for all vehicles and engines from model years 2012 to 2027.
The EPA defended its action Wednesday.
“Unlike our predecessors, the Trump EPA is committed to following the law exactly as it is written and as Congress intended — not as others might wish it to be,” the agency said. “Congress never intended to give EPA authority to impose GHG regulations for cars and trucks.”
The move represented Trump’s most sweeping climate change policy rollback to date, after a string of regulatory cuts and other moves intended to unfetter fossil fuel development and stymie the rollout of clean energy.
