For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 29th
Trump Rollback of “Endangerment Finding” puts New Mexicans at Risk
“The rules that allow the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce polluter emissions of greenhouse gases are being gutted by the Trump Administration. The climate impact for New Mexico is more than for most states. It’s not just the fires, floods and drought, but it’s also the new mosquitos in our backyards, worsening allergies, and extreme heat impacting us all. Anything that gets in the way of common sense action and technologies that save customers money and our health, is literally playing with fire. The Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter will continue to strive for nation-leading climate action to do our part for New Mexico and the states that haven’t shown the leadership that our Governor and legislature have. But we’ll have to work harder than ever, do more locally, while urging action federally that will protect our kids and our communities.”
– Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director
Sierra Club Statement on Proposed EPA Rule to Rescind Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding
July 29, 2025
Contact: Christopher Schuler, christopher.schuler@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, in its most direct assault thus far on the movement to mitigate the climate crisis, the Trump administration will formally propose a plan to rescind the Environmental Protection Agency’s longstanding greenhouse gas endangerment finding. If finalized, this action will devastate the EPA’s ability to carry out its primary authority to limit climate pollution under the federal Clean Air Act.
The 2009 finding was based on the overwhelming scientific evidence that carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases endanger our health, our communities, and our economy by driving global climate change. The finding—which has been upheld unanimously in federal court—gives EPA the statutory authority and obligation to regulate these heat-trapping gases emitted from major sources like power plants, motor vehicles, and aircraft. It was adopted following a rigorous rulemaking process considering thousands of public comments and a massive record of scientific research, which has grown far more voluminous in the intervening years.
Not only would this proposal eliminate critical federal safeguards against climate pollution, it could open the floodgates to litigation against power companies, who are currently shielded from such lawsuits under a 2011 Supreme Court ruling. By surrendering its Clean Air Act authority to regulate power plants’ carbon pollution, EPA would remove that shield, and parties harmed by the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions would have little recourse but to bring nuisance lawsuits against power plant owners.
If EPA ultimately finalizes this disastrous proposal, Sierra Club will explore all legal options in response, including the possibility of litigation.
In response, Sierra Club Acting Executive Director Loren Blackford released the following statement:
“As if any doubt remained, the Trump Administration has formalized climate denial as the official policy of the United States government. If approved, rescinding the endangerment finding would strike a decisive blow to the EPA’s authority to limit deadly greenhouse gas emissions and protect our people and our planet from the very worst of the climate crisis. Nearly every single day we see increased incidents of extreme weather, record heatwaves, deadly floods and droughts all threatening our lives and communities—all of which are the undeniable result of greenhouse gas emissions.
“The Trump administration is again taking a sledgehammer to the very foundation of our government and settled law, and doing so only to the benefit of corporate polluters while we pay the price. Our lives, our communities, and our future deserve to be protected. The Sierra Club will not rest until we the people are put first, not fossil fuel companies’ profits.”
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