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FIRST ON FOX: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday will eliminate the “2009 Obama EPA Endangerment Finding,” which set in motion most federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles, saving Americans billions.
The 2009 development was an EPA finding that carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and three other greenhouse gases “endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations” under the Clean Air Act — leading to a slew of new restrictions and regulations.
An ensuing Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA found greenhouse gases qualify as air pollutants and that if the EPA determines they endanger public health or welfare it can regulate them.
“As I traveled across all 50 states this past year, I heard from countless Americans who not only dislike the (motor-vehicle) start-stop feature but passionately advocated for this mechanism to be a thing of the past,” Zeldin said of the major recission made Thursday.
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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, House Speaker Mike Johnson and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin watch as President Donald Trump sign an executive order directing the military to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants during a “Champion of Coal” event at the White House in Washington, Feb. 11, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“Not only do many people find start-stop annoying, but it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment. The Trump EPA is proudly fixing this stupid feature at Trump Speed.”
Zeldin said automakers shouldn’t be forced to adopt or be rewarded for using technologies that represent a “climate participation trophy” with no meaningful reduction in actual pollution.
The former New York lawmaker said consumer choice is a priority for his agency, and that his office will continue to advocate for “commonsense rules.”
US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added in a statement that resetting of mileage standards and removal of auto-starts and other greenhouse-gas-regulation-precipitated regulations are part of President Donald Trump’s vision to lower costs and revitalize manufacturing.
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin visit an auto plant. (Dustin Franz/Getty Images)
All federal greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles and engines subsequent to the 2009 declaration will be rescinded, a source familiar with the situation said.
When it comes to the start-stop off-cycle technology, a credit for it was created by the EPA in 2012 and quickly infuriated motorists who hear their engine click off then on again at a stoplight or in the teller line at the bank.
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The start-stop became a regulatory loophole allowing automakers to claim greenhouse gas credits without actually delivering empirical emission-reduction or human health benefits.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move to rescind the 2009 finding will “be the largest deregulatory action in American history, and it will save the American people $1.3 trillion in crushing regulations,” according to multiple reports.
However, the climate change field appears eager to litigate the new rule, as the nonprofit green-focused law firm Earthjustice signaled as much to PBS.
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“The Trump administration is abandoning its core responsibility to keep us safe from extreme weather and accelerating climate change,” Earthjustic president Abigail Dillen told the outlet.
“There is no way to reconcile EPA’s decision with the law, the science and the reality of disasters that are hitting us harder every year. Earthjustice and our partners will see the Trump administration in court.”
Some states, however, were not supportive of the news including Colorado, where Gov. Jared Polis said he “stands by (the) science” of the former EPA guidance.
“Protecting people’s health and making our air cleaner should never be a partisan issue,” Polis said in a statement.
“The science is clear that pollution from cars and trucks harms our air quality and puts families — especially kids, seniors, and those with health conditions — at greater risk. Rolling back long-standing protections creates uncertainty for consumers and businesses at a time when we should be investing in cleaner air, innovation, and energy diversity.”
“These investments aren’t just the right thing for our climate, it’s good business,” the Democrat concluded. “Clear, science-based standards give companies the certainty they need to invest and create jobs. Colorado will continue to stand behind science and protect the health and well-being of Coloradans.”Â
