EPA Rollbacks Under Trump: Ex-Officials Warn of “Disaster”

EPA Rollbacks Under Trump: Ex-Officials Warn of “Disaster” \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Three former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrators have condemned EPA head Lee Zeldin’s sweeping rollback of environmental protections, warning that his plans endanger millions of Americans and abandon the agency’s core mission. Zeldin announced plans to weaken 31 key environmental rules, including those governing air pollution, water safety, and climate change regulations. Former officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations slammed the move as a catastrophic reversal of decades of progress, while environmentalists pledged legal battles to block the changes.

EPA Rollbacks Spark Warnings from Former Administrators – Quick Looks

• Lee Zeldin announced plans to roll back 31 EPA regulations on air, water, and climate protections.
• Former EPA heads from both parties condemned the move as a “catastrophe” for public health.
• Gina McCarthy, Obama’s EPA chief, called it “the most disastrous day in EPA history.”
• William K. Reilly and Christine Todd Whitman, former GOP EPA heads, also criticized the plan.
• Zeldin aims to overturn the “endangerment finding” on greenhouse gases, a key legal tool for climate action.
• Trump, a longtime climate change skeptic, has pushed for deregulation to boost fossil fuels.
• Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has influenced cuts to climate programs.
• Environmental groups vow legal action, calling it “the biggest pollution rollback in decades.”
• Zeldin claims deregulation will lower living costs, calling climate laws “hidden taxes.”

Deep Look

The Trump administration’s latest environmental rollback is facing fierce backlash from former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leaders, who warn that it threatens public health and undermines decades of progress.

Lee Zeldin, Trump’s EPA Administrator, announced Wednesday that the agency would roll back 31 major environmental regulations, including limits on power plant pollution, vehicle emissions, and industrial waste. The move has drawn sharp criticism from former EPA chiefs from both Republican and Democratic administrations, who say it prioritizes fossil fuel interests over public safety.

“What this administration is doing is endangering all of our lives—ours, our children, our grandchildren,” said Christine Todd Whitman, who led the EPA under President George W. Bush.

“This is the most disastrous day in EPA history,” added Gina McCarthy, the Obama-era EPA chief.

Why the Rollbacks Are So Controversial

Zeldin’s proposal reverses years of bipartisan efforts to protect clean air, clean water, and climate policy. Among the key targets of the rollback:

• Revising the Clean Air Act, potentially weakening power plant emission restrictions.
• Rolling back vehicle pollution standards, falsely labeled as an electric vehicle “mandate” by the administration.
• Weakening mercury and soot pollution regulations, which experts say could increase respiratory illnesses.
• Undoing the “Good Neighbor” rule, which limits smokestack emissions that affect downwind states.
• Dismantling clean water protections, allowing more industrial waste dumping in rivers and streams.
• Reconsidering the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which legally established greenhouse gases as a threat to public health.

The Battle Over Climate Change Regulations

The most contentious rollback is Zeldin’s plan to challenge the 2009 endangerment finding, a landmark ruling that enabled federal action on climate change.

Environmental scientists argue that attempting to reverse the finding is doomed to fail, as courts have repeatedly upheld the scientific consensus linking greenhouse gases to public health risks.

“If there’s an endangerment finding to be made anywhere, it’s on this administration,” Whitman said. “They are reversing the very mission of the EPA.”

McCarthy, who also served as President Joe Biden’s top climate adviser, warned that these moves are clearly designed to benefit the fossil fuel industry.

“This EPA is doing the bidding of oil and gas companies, not protecting American families,” she said.

The Trump Administration’s Deregulation Agenda

Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively pursued deregulation, claiming that environmental rules hurt economic growth. He has:

• Frozen funds for climate programs, cutting millions in renewable energy support.
• Fired National Weather Service scientists, reducing federal climate research.
• Revoked more than 100 environmental protections, a continuation of his first-term policies.

Zeldin echoed Trump’s anti-regulation stance, calling climate policies a “hidden tax” that raises costs for businesses and consumers.

“We are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America’s Golden Age,” Zeldin declared.

Elon Musk’s Influence and the Role of DOGE

Environmental advocates are also concerned about Elon Musk’s involvement in Trump’s policy decisions. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has been vocal in pushing for aggressive deregulation, claiming that climate policies hurt business innovation.

William K. Reilly, who led the EPA under President George H.W. Bush, fears that Trump, Zeldin, and Musk are trying to return the U.S. to a pre-EPA era, when corporations operated with little environmental oversight.

“I wonder if the malefactors are going to give us more burning rivers,” Reilly said, referencing the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire—an event that helped spur the creation of the EPA.

The Legal and Environmental Fallout

The rollback plan is expected to face fierce legal battles, with environmental groups preparing lawsuits to block the changes.

Experts warn that if these rollbacks are approved after public review, the U.S. could see:

• Higher levels of air and water pollution.
• Increased health risks, including respiratory illnesses and cancer.
• A reversal of progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite Zeldin’s claims that deregulation will cut costs, former EPA officials argue that environmental policies have historically supported economic growth.

“Protecting the environment and growing the economy are not mutually exclusive,” McCarthy said.

Environmental activists argue that this plan represents the biggest increase in pollution in decades.

“If enacted, this rollback will cause irreparable harm to Americans, businesses, and ecosystems nationwide,” a coalition of environmental groups said in a statement.

What Happens Next?

Zeldin’s proposal will now undergo public comment and legal scrutiny, but with Trump’s stronghold over environmental policy, it is likely to move forward unless blocked in court.

Environmentalists have vowed to fight the changes in court, but given Trump’s control over federal agencies, the rollback effort may reshape U.S. environmental policy for years to come.

The debate over economic growth vs. environmental protection continues, but one thing is certain: the future of U.S. climate policy is at a crossroads—and the decisions made in the coming months will shape the country’s environmental landscape for decades.

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