Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the Trump administration is encouraging more pollution and ignoring the health of millions of Americans.
That’s in response to a proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency to revoke its own finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health.
“Rolling back these protections puts our communities – especially our children, seniors, and vulnerable populations – at greater risk from the harmful effects of greenhouse gas pollution,” Lamont said in a statement.
The finding, known as the Endangerment Finding, dates back to 2009 and led to the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, power plants and other sources of pollution under the Clean Air Act.
The EPA also called Tuesday for eliminating limits on tailpipe emissions designed to encourage automakers to build and sell more electric vehicles. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Repealing the finding “will be the largest deregulatory action in the history of America," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Tuesday.
“There are people who, in the name of climate change, are willing to bankrupt the country," Zeldin said on the conservative “Ruthless” podcast. "They created this endangerment finding and then they are able to put all these regulations on vehicles, on airplanes, on stationary sources, to basically regulate out of existence, in many cases, a lot of segments of our economy. And it cost Americans a lot of money.”
The EPA proposal must go through a lengthy review process, including public comment, before it is finalized, likely next year. Environmental groups are likely to challenge the rule change in court.
Repeal could deal blow to CT’s environment
The move would potentially limit Connecticut’s ability to improve its air quality, which is among the worst in the United States, according to Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.
“Greenhouse gas emissions, including from vehicles, contribute to air pollution that exacerbates respiratory illness, resulting in tens of millions of dollars spent on related health care costs in our state every year,” Dykes said in a statement.
The elimination of regulations on greenhouse gas emissions will also accelerate the effects of climate change, causing severe weather across the state, according to Mark A. Boyer, an expert in climate adaptation and professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut.
“On the coastal towns, you're going to see greater impacts of storm surge, sea level rise and severe weather events,” he said. “In the river valleys, you're going to see increased flooding, and other kinds of events related to rain bombs and severe weather.”
“And then in the cities, you're just going to overwhelm so much of the infrastructure that was not built for this volume of water during those weather events,” Boyer said.
The EPA is expected to make a final decision on the proposal after a public comment section ends on Sept. 21.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member who covers the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public.
