Repealing the Endangerment Finding would be a huge mistake

PennFuture vehemently opposes any action to repeal the Endangerment Finding, which would threaten the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ability to protect Americans from climate pollution. This week, the EPA announced its plan to “reconsider” the Endangerment Finding, a 2009 EPA determination that greenhouse gas emissions—like carbon and methane—are reasonably anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. The Endangerment Finding is crucial as it triggers the process for regulating greenhouse gas emissions as “air pollution” under the Clean Air Act. This finding supports existing regulations to reduce dangerous pollution from vehicles, power plants, and other sources.

EPA makes the claim that regulating greenhouse gasses rather than just carbon dioxide is “unorthodox”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Supreme Court, in Mass v. EPA, clearly stated that “greenhouse gases fit well within the Clean Air Act's capacious definition of ‘air pollutant,’ [and held that] that EPA has the statutory authority to regulate the emission of such gases.” 

PennFuture supports the science behind the need to regulate six greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, as has been determined they pose a threat to public health. Pennsylvania currently ranks fourth nationally in greenhouse gas emissions and residents have already been feeling the impacts of climate change in their communities like record-breaking heat waves and dangerous flooding events. 

Rather than overturning this key EPA finding, we need to invest more federal climate resources and protections. Not only do peer-reviewed studies show how climate change impacts affect our health and well-being, but they also highlight the staggering costs of inaction. According to a recent report, climate change adaptations will cost Pennsylvania municipalities and taxpayers more than $15 billion by 2040.

Inaction on climate change has also been linked to increasing electricity costs for consumers, due to increased demand for cooling during hotter temperatures, strain on power grids, and infrastructure damage from extreme weather events. According to one report, Pennsylvanians will see a spike in their electric bills by almost 60% over the next 10 to 15 years.

The EPA should meet the people where they’re at and rescind their intention to revoke this finding that protects Pennsylvanians’ health, communities, and wallets.

Sources: 5 Facts About Endangerment | Pennsylvania’s Looming Climate Cost Crisis | Center for Climate Integrity | Pennsylvania-PJM-Interconnection-Fact-Sheet.pdf