# EPA under Trump Eyes Scrapping Key Clean Air Regulation
The EPA under President Trump's administration is aggressively pursuing the rollback of key clean air regulations, with Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiling a sweeping 31-action "hit list" targeting soot standards, power plant emissions, and the foundational endangerment finding for greenhouse gases.[1][4] This deregulatory push, dubbed the "biggest in U.S. history," aims to unleash American energy and lower costs but has sparked alarms over potential health risks from increased air pollution.[2][3]
EPA's 31-Action Rollback Plan Targets Core Clean Air Protections
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, including reconsideration of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and power plant pollution rules like Clean Power Plan 2.0.[1][4] The list also eyes scrapping the endangerment finding—a 2009 scientific determination under the Clean Air Act that obligates the EPA to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and power plants—and overhauling the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.[1][3] Additional targets include National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), Regional Haze Program rules, and regulations on oil and gas emissions.[4]
Zeldin framed these moves as fulfilling Trump's promise to "unleash American energy" and reduce bureaucratic burdens on manufacturing and energy sectors, while redirecting enforcement to the agency's "core mission."[4] A leaked EPA memo further reveals halted enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities, barring actions that could disrupt production absent imminent health threats.[1]
Enforcement Collapse and Deregulatory Momentum Under Trump
Environmental enforcement has plummeted in Trump's second term, with lawsuits against polluters dropping sharply due to staff cuts—including hundreds of EPA pollution monitors laid off in 2025 and a third of Justice Department environmental lawyers departing.[2] The administration declared an "energy emergency" on day one, scaling back safeguards for air, water, and climate while favoring fossil fuels.[2] Other actions include revoking Biden-era renewable energy orders, exempting power plants from MATS compliance, and removing climate and environmental justice considerations from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews.[1]
Nonprofits like Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Earthjustice have documented this "compliance first" shift, warning it de-emphasizes public health protections.[2] The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) also faces rescission of its NEPA authority dating back to 1977.[1]
Health Experts Warn of Risks from Rolling Back Air Quality Rules
Public health experts, including Harvard's Mary Rice and Amruta Nori-Sarma, caution that repealing greenhouse gas standards and the endangerment finding could reverse gains in air quality, leading to higher mortality, heart disease, asthma attacks, and climate-driven harms like wildfires and extreme weather.[3] Studies link coal plant closures and vehicle emission reductions to longer life expectancy and fewer respiratory issues, especially among children and the elderly—progress now at risk.[3] Increased soot, mercury, and particulate matter could exacerbate these threats, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups.[1][3]
Industry and Administration Cheer Deregulation for Economic Gains
Proponents argue the rollbacks will lower living costs, revitalize the auto industry, and boost manufacturing by easing "throttling" regulations on coal, oil, gas, and small businesses.[4] Zeldin described it as "driving a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion," promising state empowerment and energy dominance without compromising core environmental missions.[4]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the EPA's 31-action rollback plan under Trump?
The plan targets 31 regulations, including soot standards (PM 2.5 NAAQS), Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), power plant emissions rules, and the greenhouse gas endangerment finding, aiming to reduce costs and boost energy production.[1][4]
Who is leading the EPA's deregulatory efforts?
EPA Administrator **Lee Zeldin** announced the initiative, calling it the "biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history" to unleash American energy and lower costs.[1][4]
How has EPA enforcement changed under Trump's second term?
Enforcement against polluters has collapsed, with halted actions at energy facilities, staff layoffs, and a shift away from environmental justice concerns per a leaked memo.[1][2]
What health risks do experts associate with these clean air rollbacks?
Rollbacks could increase air pollution, leading to higher mortality, asthma, heart disease, and climate harms like wildfires, reversing benefits from prior emission reductions.[3]
Which specific clean air rules are targeted for reconsideration?
Key targets include MATS for mercury, PM 2.5 soot standards, Clean Power Plan 2.0 for power plants, NESHAPs for hazardous pollutants, and the GHG Reporting Program.[1][4]
Why does the administration support scrapping these regulations?
To fulfill promises of energy dominance, cost reductions for families, auto industry revival, and state empowerment, while easing burdens on fossil fuels and manufacturing.[4]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:00:42 PM
I cannot provide the news update as requested because the search results do not contain information about **global impact or international response** to the EPA's regulatory rollbacks. The available sources focus exclusively on domestic U.S. policy changes, including the EPA's plans to rescind the endangerment finding and delay vehicle emission standards, but they do not discuss how other countries or international bodies have reacted to these actions.
To accurately fulfill your request for a breaking news update with concrete global details, I would need search results that cover international responses from governments, climate organizations, or multilateral bodies.
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:10:51 PM
I cannot provide this news update as requested because the search results do not contain any information about consumer and public reaction to the EPA's plans to scrap clean air regulations. The results detail the Trump administration's regulatory rollback actions—including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's announcement of 31 planned rollbacks and plans to rescind the endangerment finding—but include no quotes, polling data, statements from environmental groups, or other evidence of public response to these proposed changes.
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🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:20:51 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced plans to dismantle 31 federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, including soot standards and power plant pollution rules, with the endangerment finding—the scientific and legal foundation of the Clean Air Act—among the targeted actions.[1]** Environmental nonprofits including Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Earthjustice have documented that enforcement against polluters has collapsed dramatically in Trump's second term, with at least a third of lawyers in the Justice Department's environment division departing over the past year.[2] Experts warn the rollback operates through multiple mechanisms: a leaked EPA memo halted enforcement of pollution regulations at energy facilities absent "imminent and substantial threat to
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:30:59 PM
I cannot provide a news update as requested because the search results contain information from 2017-2019, which is historical rather than current breaking news. The sources document that the EPA **already repealed** the Clean Power Plan on June 19, 2019[7], rather than "eyeing" its removal as a future action.
If you're looking for a news update on current EPA actions regarding clean air regulations as of February 2026, I would need search results with recent reporting. Alternatively, I can provide a historical summary of the Clean Power Plan's repeal and its technical implications based on the available sources.
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:40:54 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has unveiled a 31-item "rollback hit list" targeting key Clean Air Act regulations, including soot standards, power plant pollution rules finalized in 2024 with March 2026 compliance deadlines, and the foundational endangerment finding that legally affirms greenhouse gases as public health threats.** A leaked EPA memo further halts enforcement at energy facilities, mandating: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health," potentially delaying EPA-calculated pollution reductions by 10 months and sidelining environmental justice analyses. Technically, rescinding the endangerment finding demands rigorous scientific review per legal precedents, risking increased particulate matter an
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 4:50:56 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Targets Key Clean Air Regulation in Deregulatory Push.** In March 2025, Zeldin unveiled 31 deregulatory actions, explicitly including efforts to roll back soot standards, power plant pollution rules, and the Clean Air Act's **endangerment finding**—the scientific basis for regulating greenhouse gases—handing more authority to states amid collapsed enforcement, with DOJ civil lawsuits dropping 76% to just 16 in Trump's first year.[1][2] A leaked EPA memo further halts enforcement at energy facilities, stating: **"Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health."**[2
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:00:56 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: EPA's Push to Scrap Endangerment Finding Sparks Global Alarm**
The Trump EPA's plan to repeal the 2009 **Endangerment Finding**—which deems six greenhouse gases like CO2 a threat to public health under the Clean Air Act—threatens to undermine international climate efforts by weakening U.S. commitments under the Paris Agreement, potentially boosting global emissions by signaling tolerance for fossil fuel expansion[2][3][4]. EPA Administrator **Lee Zeldin** called it the "**largest act of deregulation in U.S. history**," amid 31 rollbacks including power plant rules, drawing sharp rebuke from environmental groups worldwide who warn it could add millions of tons of unchecked pollution[1][3]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:10:59 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has targeted the 2024-finalized soot standards and power plant pollution rules—due for compliance by March 2026—for scrapping as part of a 31-action "hit list" dubbed the "biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history," alongside challenging the Clean Air Act's endangerment finding that underpins greenhouse gas regulations.[1][2][3]** Technical analysis reveals halted enforcement via a leaked memo barring actions that "shut down any stage of energy production" unless posing "imminent and substantial threat to human health," coupled with EPA layoffs of hundreds monitoring pollution and a third of Justice Department environmental lawyers departing, slashing lawsuits against polluters.[1][2] Implications include delaye
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:21:00 PM
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced plans to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, identifying **31 actions** targeting everything from soot standards and power plant pollution rules to the **endangerment finding**—the scientific and legal foundation of the Clean Air Act.[1] The administration has simultaneously moved to rescind the Council on Environmental Quality's regulatory authority, revoking all CEQ orders since 1977 that govern how federal agencies comply with environmental impact assessment requirements.[1] These actions represent a comprehensive assault on clean air protections, with the EPA also halting enforcement of pollution regulations on energy facilities through a leaked memo that bars consideration of environmental justice concerns.[1]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:31:00 PM
I cannot provide the market reactions and stock price movements you've requested because the search results do not contain information about financial market responses to EPA regulatory changes. The search results focus on the EPA's policy actions—including proposed rollbacks of greenhouse gas emissions standards, clean air regulations, and hazardous air pollutant rules—but do not include stock market data, investor reactions, or trading activity related to these announcements.
To write an accurate news update with concrete financial details and numbers, I would need access to financial reporting covering market responses to these EPA actions, which is not present in the provided search results.
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:40:59 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to dismantle 31 key federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations**, including soot standards, power plant rules, and the Clean Air Act's endangerment finding, as part of a sweeping rollback "hit list."[1] A leaked EPA memo further directs the compliance office to halt enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities, stating: *"Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health or an express statutory or regulatory requirement to the contrary."*[1] This follows earlier actions like delaying coal ash deadlines and methane emission rules, with the Good Neighbor Plan rollback announced on March 12, 2025.[2]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 5:50:59 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a 31-item "rollback hit list" targeting key clean air regulations, including soot standards, power plant pollution rules, and the endangerment finding that underpins the Clean Air Act.** A leaked EPA memo further directs the compliance office to halt enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities, stating: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health."[1] This move also eyes a 10-month delay in 2024-finalized rules with March 2026 compliance deadlines, per EPA calculations.[1]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 6:00:58 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has unveiled a 31-action "hit list" targeting key clean air regulations, including soot standards, power plant pollution rules, and the Clean Air Act's endangerment finding—the scientific basis for regulating greenhouse gases.**[1][2] A leaked EPA memo further halts enforcement at energy facilities, stating: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health."[1] No official response from the EPA or White House has addressed these moves, amid reports of collapsed enforcement and staff cuts.[2]
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 6:10:53 PM
**EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has targeted the 2024-finalized power plant pollution rules—due for compliance by March 2026—for scrapping as part of a 31-action "hit list" rolling back soot standards, carbon regulations, and the Clean Air Act's endangerment finding, per EPA calculations showing a 10-month delay already in effect.** A leaked EPA memo halts enforcement at energy facilities, stating: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health," amid layoffs of hundreds of pollution monitors and a third of Justice Department environmental lawyers, collapsing lawsuits against polluters.[1][2] Technically, this deregulatory push relinq
🔄 Updated: 2/10/2026, 6:20:51 PM
**BREAKING: EPA Targets Endangerment Finding in Major Clean Air Act Rollback**
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has included rescinding the **endangerment finding**—the scientific and legal foundation for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act—among **31 deregulatory actions** announced in March 2025, aiming to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution rules.[1][2] A leaked EPA memo further directs the compliance office to halt enforcement of pollution regulations at energy facilities, stating: *"Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production... absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health."*[2] No official response has come from the EPA or White House amid criticisms that these moves prioritize industr