In a major win for regulatory freedom, EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin announced on March 12 that the EPA will be initiating the largest deregulation in history.
“The Environmental Protection Agency is initiating 31 historic actions to fulfill President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, revitalize our auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to the states. The EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars,” said Secretary Zeldin in a video statement.
As part of this historic deregulation, the Trump EPA will be rolling back woke climate policies of the Biden administration that bogged down the American energy industry and drove up prices of goods for consumers.
“Today, the green new scam ends as the EPA does its part to usher in the golden age of American success,” stated Zeldin.
The EPA is starting by terminating the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate that would have required the majority of light-duty vehicles to be electric by 2032. The Trump EPA plans to reevaluate two other regulations, the Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles regulation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles, restrictions that cost the country an estimated $700 billion.
Zeldin also announced his intention to end the environmental justice and DEI programs of the EPA and the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Social Cost of Carbon” that promoted exaggerated statistics to justify denying permits, discourage the use of fossil fuels, and overall, stall the American economy and energy industry.
Just the elimination of these regulations will make strides to open up the American economy, but the Trump EPA is not stopping there. It also plans to rework regulations that inhibited coal-fired plants, oil and gas development, and domestic manufacturing.
”Our actions will lower the cost of living by making it more affordable to purchase a car, heat your home, and operate a business. Jobs will be created, especially in the U.S. auto industry and our nation will become stronger for it,” promised Zeldin.
In a policy brief, CPAC’s Center for Regulatory Freedom urged that the 2009 Endangerment Finding be one of those regulations reconsidered and ultimately, rescinded by the EPA. The 2009 Endangerment Finding is an unscientific and climate alarmism-driven finding that was the basis for the Biden-Harris administration’s “Social Cost of Carbon” and has been used to justify unnecessary regulations on emissions.
In addition to reconsidering and rescinding existing regulations like these, CPAC urges Secretary Zeldin and the EPA to put a freeze on new rulemaking. Many rules that are currently in the pipeline are left over from the Biden-Harris administration and would only further promote climate alarmism and put shackles on domestic industry. Halting the rulemaking process is imperative to ensure the EPA’s historic deregulation efforts are not undermined.
With the current plans for deregulation and CPAC’s recommendations for rescinding radical regulations and pausing rulemaking, the EPA will be on the right track to serve the interests of the American people. The agency was the largest contributor to the Biden-Harris administration’s regulatory costs, spending a whopping $1.3 trillion on climate change.
Now, it’s Congress’ turn to take action that supports the deregulatory work in the EPA. Congress needs to revisit existing legislation, specifically the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, and clarify terms such as “hazardous air pollutants” and “waters of the U.S.” It also needs to use checks and balances to establish clear parameters for the EPA and rein in the administrative state.
States, too, need to cooperate with the deregulation effort and accept the power the EPA is handing back to them by establishing committees to oversee water and air quality and set environmental standards based on each state’s needs.
Secretary Zeldin and the EPA’s latest announcement is a major step in the right direction. Now, Congress and the states need to follow suit.
