A BIG WIN FOR CONSUMERS FROM ZELDIN’S EPA
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will formally rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding on greenhouse gas emissions. The action, being announced by Zeldin alongside President Trump at a 1:30 PM ET event, represents the largest deregulatory action in American history and is projected to save consumers $1.3 trillion in regulatory costs.
Yaël Ossowski, Deputy Director at the consumer advocacy group Consumer Choice Center, reacted.
“If the White House wants to have its own affordability agenda, this is where it starts. It’s a big win for American consumers. The EPA’s previous finding served as the legal foundation for a web of regulations that spiked energy prices, increased the cost of vehicles, and hit everyday families with higher bills for most goods and utilities,” said Ossowski.
“Climate policy in the United States has been driven by lawfare and federal mandates rather than by a search for solutions. State-level climate lawsuits against energy producers and costly EPA regulations on power plants and vehicles have tangibly improved anyone’s lives. For those concerned about emissions, they are trending down with or without Zeldin’s new approach.”
The Supreme Court first allowed for the Endangerment Finding to be implemented by endorsing an over-the-top definition of air pollution in Massachusetts v. EPA. (2007). “This quickly led to the Obama administration expanding enforcement chemicals and gases whether they were deemed toxic to humans or not. And yes, you do pay for that, especially at an auto dealership,” added Ossowski.
The Consumer Choice Center is encouraged that policymakers are choosing to take pressure off consumers by allowing energy producers and providers of essential goods and services to operate with less overhead.
Ossowski concluded, “There’s always a role for regulators to play in protecting public health, especially when you’re talking about gases, but it was always known that ‘greenhouse gases’ such as carbon dioxide are naturally occurring and not harmful to anyone.”
Innovation — not regulation — is the key to solving environmental challenges. Entrepreneurs and engineers are developing cleaner energy technologies, more efficient vehicles, and next-generation solutions every day. A regulatory environment that lets firms compete and invest is preferable to one that punishes consumers and suppliers alike.
The 2009 Endangerment Finding will not be missed.
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The Consumer Choice Center is an independent, nonpartisan consumer advocacy group championing the benefits of freedom of choice, innovation, and abundance in everyday life for consumers in over 100 countries. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Brussels, Washington, Ottawa, Brasilia, London, and Geneva.
Find out more at consumerchoicecenter.org
