U.S. EPAs Extinction: In the Crosshairs

The U.S. EPA is facing extinction. Established in 1970, the EPA has played a pivotal role in regulating emissions, mitigating pollution, and enforcing laws that protect our environment and ensure sustainability. The newly appointed EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, has announced initiatives to cancel:

• Regulations on power plants (Clean Power Plan 2.0).

• Regulations on the oil and gas industry and federal emissions reduction regulations.

• Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).

• The Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHG Reporting Program).

• Limitations, guidelines, and standards (ELG) for the steam electric power generating industry to ensure low- cost electricity while protecting water resources (Steam Electric ELG).

• Wastewater regulations for coal power plants to help boost US energy (Oil and Gas ELG).

• The Biden-Harris Administration Risk Management Program rule (Risk Management Program Rule).

• Light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicle regulations that provided the foundation for the Biden- Harris electric vehicle mandate (Car GHG Rules).

• The 2009 Endangerment Finding and regulations and actions that rely on that finding (Endangerment Finding).

• The Technology Transition Rule that requires companies to use certain technologies (Technology Transition Rule).

• Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM 2.5 NAAQS).

• Multiple National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for US energy and manufacturing sectors (NESHAPs).”

Impacts of Deregulation

Deregulating environmental protections could potentially levy harsh consequences on the American public. For example, the rollback of emission standards would lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Relaxed power plant regulations would extend the life of coal plants, reducing incentives for investing in and building new renewable energy sources.

This is also empirically true. The Flint water crisis was exacerbated by weak environmental oversight. Officials switched Flint’s water supply without proper anti-corrosion treatment, causing the water to be contaminated with lead. High levels of lead in water can cause irreversible neurological and developmental damage. In Flint’s case, at least 12 people died and 90 were hospitalized from Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia linked to Flint’s water. Lead contamination also lowered the birth rate in Michigan.

More recently, the wildfires in California have decreased air quality and increased pollution. We need more environmental protection to solve environmental hazards like that. The American Lung  Association indicated that, “years of scientific research have clearly established that particle pollution and ozone are a threat to human health at every stage of life, increasing the risk of premature birth, causing or worsening lung and heart disease, and shortening lives.”

Road to Implementation

Although these deregulations have been announced, implementing the deregulations will take time and involve a complex process. The EPA must undergo a formal process of drafting new rules, inviting public comments, consulting other federal agencies, and undergoing legal review. The legal review portion takes a while and many policies in the past have been battered with legal challenges. However, this does not mean, these deregulations will be stopped. 

Zeldin has announced the following actions:

U.S. Energy

• Reconsideration of regulations on power plants (Clean Power Plan 2.0).

• Reconsideration of regulations throttling the oil and gas industry (OOOO b/c). 

• Reconsideration of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that improperly targeted coal-fired power plants (MATS). 

• Reconsideration of mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program that imposed significant costs on the American energy supply (GHG Reporting Program).

• Reconsideration of limitations, guidelines and standards (ELG) for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry to ensure low-cost electricity while protecting water resources (Steam Electric ELG). 

• Reconsideration of wastewater regulations for oil and gas development to help unleash American energy (Oil and Gas ELG). 

• Reconsideration of Biden-Harris Administration Risk Management Program rule that made America’s oil and natural gas refineries and chemical facilities less safe (Risk Management Program Rule). 

Cost of Living for American Families

• Reconsideration of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicle regulations that provided the foundation for the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate (Car GHG Rules).

• Reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and regulations and actions that rely on that Finding (Endangerment Finding). 

• Reconsideration of technology transition rule that forces companies to use certain technologies that increased costs on food at grocery stores and semiconductor manufacturing (Technology Transition Rule). 

• Reconsideration of Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards that shut down opportunities for American manufacturing and small businesses (PM 2.5 NAAQS) 

• Reconsideration of multiple National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for American energy and manufacturing sectors (NESHAPs). 

• Restructuring the Regional Haze Program that threatened the supply of affordable energy for American families (Regional Haze). 

• Overhauling Biden-Harris Administration’s “Social Cost of Carbon”.

• Redirecting enforcement resources to EPA’s core mission to relieve the economy of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens that drive up costs for American consumers (Enforcement Discretion). 

• Terminating Biden’s Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency (EJ/DEI) 

Zeldin has claimed that it was “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen.” With a list this long, these changes could potentially mean a future with more pollution and less stringent oversight on sustainability initiatives. By rolling back key regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, power plants, and vehicle standards, the EPA is shifting its focus away from environmental protection and toward deregulation that favors industries reliant on fossil fuels. Like Zeldin, proponents of these changes will argue that these initiatives will boost economic growth and lower costs for the average American. However, the long-term consequences of increased emissions and worsened air and water quality will outweigh the short-term economic benefits that this rollback will bring.

Action Items

• Individuals: Individuals should stay informed about policy changes and continue to support businesses that prioritize being sustainable. They should also reduce their own carbon footprints and advocate for stronger environmental protections where they can. They can also participate in public comment periods for the proposed changes.

• Businesses: Businesses should stick to sustainability initiatives even though deregulation is occurring. They should also invest in sustainable technologies and increase transparency in reporting their environmental impact.

Research from Kepler Cheuvreux.