PA Environment Digest Blog: EPA Launches Biggest Deregulation Action For Industry In US History, 'Driving A Dagger Straight Into The Heart Of The Climate Change Religion,’ Unleashing The American Energy Industry

On March 12, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced sweeping plans to reconsider more than 31 major environmental regulations, programs and findings. This is the text of that announcement and links to EPA press releases on individual actions.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will undertake 31 “historic” actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, to advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback.

Combined, these announcements represent the most momentous day in the history of the EPA.

While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower cost of living for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions. 

“Today is the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen. We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the U.S. and more,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin.

“Alongside President Trump, we are living up to our promises to unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, and work hand-in-hand with our state partners to advance our shared mission,” added EPA Administrator Zeldin.

These historic actions will roll back trillions in regulatory costs and hidden “taxes” on U.S. families.

As a result of these announcements, the cost of living for American families will decrease.

It will be more affordable to purchase a car, heat homes, and operate a business.

It will be more affordable to bring manufacturing into local communities while individuals widely benefit from the tangible economic impacts.

These actions will create American jobs, including incredible progress to bring back American auto jobs. The Biden and Obama era regulations being reconsidered have suffocated nearly every single sector of the American economy.

EPA Administrator Zeldin announced the following actions.

[Note: The links are to individual EPA press releases announcing those actions.]

Unleashing American Energy

-- Reconsideration of regulations on power plants (Clean Power Plan 2.0)

-- Reconsideration of regulations “throttling” the oil and gas industry (OOOO b/c) [Rule Reducing Methane Emissions]

-- Reconsideration of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that “improperly targeted” coal-fired power plants (MATS)

-- Reconsideration of mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program that imposed “significant costs” on the American energy supply (GHG Reporting Program)

-- Reconsideration of limitations, guidelines and standards (ELG) for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry to ensure low-cost electricity while protecting water resources (Steam Electric ELG)

-- Reconsideration of wastewater regulations for coal power plants to help unleash American energy (Oil and Gas ELG)

-- Reconsideration of Risk Management Program rule that made America’s oil and natural gas refineries and chemical facilities less safe (Risk Management Program Rule)

Lowering Cost Of Living For American Families

-- Reconsideration of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicle regulations that provided the foundation for the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate (Car GHG Rules)

-- Reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and regulations and actions that rely on that Finding (Endangerment Finding)

-- Reconsideration of technology transition rule that forces companies to use certain technologies that increased costs on food at grocery stores and semiconductor manufacturing (Technology Transition Rule)

-- Reconsideration of Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards that shut down opportunities for American manufacturing and small businesses (PM 2.5 NAAQS)

-- Reconsideration of multiple National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for American energy and manufacturing sectors (NESHAPs)

-- Restructuring the Regional Haze Program that threatened the supply of affordable energy for American families (Regional Haze)

-- Overhauling Biden-Harris Administration’s “Social Cost of Carbon”

-- Redirecting enforcement resources to EPA’s core mission to relieve the economy, energy industry of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens that drive up costs for American consumers (Enforcement Discretion)

-- Terminating Biden’s Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency (EJ/DEI)

Advancing Cooperative Federalism

-- Ending so-called “Good Neighbor Plan” air pollution control plan which the Biden-Harris Administration used to expand federal rules to more states and sectors beyond the program’s traditional focus and led to the rejection of nearly all State Implementation Plans

-- Working with states and tribes to resolve massive backlog with State Implementation Plans and Tribal Implementation Plans that the Biden-Harris Administration refused to resolve (SIPs/TIPs)

-- Reconsideration of exceptional events rulemaking to work with states to prioritize the allowance of prescribed fires within State and Tribal Implementation Plans (Exceptional Events)

-- Reconstituting Science Advisory Board and Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (SAB/CASAC)

-- Prioritizing coal ash program to expedite state permit reviews and update coal ash regulations (CCR Rule)

-- Utilizing enforcement discretion to further North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene

Click Here for a copy of the EPA announcement.

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: As Washington Unwinds Its Commitments, State And Local Governments Will Have To Step Up

-- Republican Herald Editorial: One-Sided Discussions On Issues Don’t Promote True Progress, EPA Visit Was Not A 'Roundtable Discussion,' But A 'Rally' For Natural Gas In Delaware River Basin [PaEN]

-- AP: EPA Head Says He’ll Roll Back Dozens Of Environmental Regulations, Including Rules On Climate Change

-- AP: A Breakdown Of Major EPA Deregulatory Moves Around Water, Air, Climate

-- E&E News/Politico: EPA Launches Assault On Environmental Regulations

-- Environmental Defense Fund: EPA’s Deregulation Plan Will Increase Pollution In Daily Lives

-- NYT: EPA Declares ‘Greatest Day Of Deregulation Our Nation Has Seen’