The lawsuit, led by Massachusetts and California and joined by Governor Shapiro, 21 other states, and several cities and counties, challenges the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s repeal of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, which found that six greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride — threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.
The EPA’s repeal on February 12th flies in the face of both science and the law. As a result of the Trump Administration’s actions, Pennsylvanians face growing threats from increased air pollution and its associated health risks.
“Pollution puts people's health at risk, makes severe weather worse, threatens our farmers’ crops, and makes health care more expensive. By trying to roll back protections that keep pollution out of the air we breathe, the Trump Administration is once again throwing science out the window and putting Pennsylvanians’ lives at risk – so I’m taking them to court to put a stop to it,” said Governor Shapiro. “I will continue to stand up against this Administration’s harmful actions and protect the health and safety of all 13 million Pennsylvanians.”
For more than a decade, greenhouse gases have been considered air pollutants covered by the Clean Air Act and by repealing this rule, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the Trump Administration have unlawfully discarded years of precedent. Governor Shapiro’s legal action seeks to reverse the EPA’s repeal and continues his work to combat federal attempts to strip long-standing protections from Pennsylvanians.
Before the endangerment finding rule was repealed, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Pennsylvania Department of Health sent a letter to the EPA in September 2025, outlining their opposition to the repeal and detailing a lack of legal standing for such action.
In January 2025, Governor Shapiro unveiled his Lightning Energy Plan which includes strategic initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, lower utility bills, and create jobs.
In his Plan, the Governor introduced PRESS, the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard, to combat climate change and enhance environmental protections by reducing air pollution and increasing investment in clean, renewable energy sources.
The Shapiro Administration secured over $76 million in federal funding in September 2024 to address the plugging of orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells to reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change.
In July 2024, Governor Shapiro announced his Administration secured nearly $400 million for the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) project to fund efforts helping Pennsylvania companies lower climate emissions while creating good-paying jobs and supporting Pennsylvania’s economy.
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has been committed to supporting a healthy environment for every Pennsylvanian.
This lawsuit is led by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Click Here for the Governor's announcement.
Related Articles This Week:
-- PA House Committee Hears How Virtual Power Plants, Advanced Transmission Line Technologies Allow Us To Quickly Get More Out Of Our Energy Infrastructure In Less Time, Without Huge Investments Or Delays [PaEN]
-- PennFuture Calls For A Statewide Pause On A.I. Data Center Development Until Lawmakers Can Adopt Strict Policies To Site These Facilities Properly [PaEN]
-- DEP Invests $10 Million To Support 6 Projects To Improve Electric Grid Reliability And Resiliency In 9 Counties [PaEN]
-- Mon Valley Initiative, PA Solar Center Announce RFP For Qualified Solar Developers [PaEN]
-- Green Building Alliance To Hold Free Virtual Green Professional Operations & Maintenance Certification Training For PreK-12 School Facilities Teams April 29 – May 1; Technical Assistance Available [PaEN]
-- DEP To Tighten Residual Waste Coproduct Regulations That Allow Unrestricted Disposal Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater By Dumping It On Public Roads [PaEN]
-- Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Establishes Scientific Advisory Board To Advise The Group On Scientific Issues [PaEN]
-- PUC: Deadly West Reading Chocolate Factory Explosion Prompts PUC Safety Complaint Against UGI Proposing $2,576,627 In Penalties [PaEN]
-- PUC Schedules 10 Hearings On Proposed UGI Utilities 8.05% Natural Gas Distribution Rate Increase Starting March 30 [PaEN]
-- PUC Sets Hearings On Proposed National Fuel Gas 7.4% Natural Gas Distribution Rate Increase Starting March 31 [PaEN]
-- DCED Invests $1.4 Million To Expand Natural Gas Service To Customers In Bradford, Somerset County [PaEN]
-- PA Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Protect The Right Of Pennsylvanians To Drive Diesel And Gasoline Powered Vehicles; Average PA Price Of Gasoline Rose 69 Cents To $3.80/Gallon Since Feb. 27 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Post-Gazette: President Announces $17 Billion South Mon Natural Gas Power Plant To Produce 4.3 GW Of Power In SW PA
-- Scranton Times: PPL Utilities: A.I. Data Centers Are Poised To Consume More Electricity Than Northeast PA Can Deliver [PDF of Article]
-- Spotlight PA/Grist: Six A.I. Data Center Campuses Planned For Archbald Boro, Residents Are Fighting Back
-- Scranton Times: National Developer Spends $580 Million On Dozens Of Properties In Salem Twp. For Data Center Campus In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]
-- Scranton Times: New Salem Twp. A.I. Data Center Developer Who Spent $580 Million For 1,700 Acres Touts Experience, Environmental Edge [PDF of Article]
-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: 96 Salem Twp. Landowners Complete 1,700-Acre Sale For Major A.I. Data Center Campus
-- PA Capital-Star: Pain Of Soaring Gasoline, Diesel, Heating Oil, Propane Prices Compounded By Electricity, Natural Gas Increases Across Pennsylvania
-- TribLive Letter: Legislators Must Help Bring Down Skyrocketing Utility Bills - By Diana Vahabzadeh, Pittsburgh
-- City & State PA Guest Essay: PA Lawmakers Must Do More To Protect Residents From A.I. Data Centers - By Joseph Minott, former Executive Director Of The Clean Air Council
-- CapitolWire: Pennsylvania Scraps RGGI Carbon Market, Races To Build More Natural Gas Power Plants [For A.I. Data Centers]
-- Scranton Times: National Developer Spends $580 Million On Dozens Of Properties In Salem Twp. For Data Center Campus In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]
-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: In Archbald Boro A Petition For Accountability Calling For Removal Of Council President, Solicitor, Manager, Zoning Officer Over A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]
-- Scranton Times: Northeast PA Municipalities Can Set Boundaries On A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]
-- Food & Water Watch Blog: President’s War Against Iran Exposes The Lie Of How ‘Energy Independence’ Based On Oil & Natural Gas Will Lower Prices For Consumers - Prices Are Unbreakably Linked To International Markets As War Price Spikes Again Show
-- Inside Climate News: Iran War Shows That Doubling Down On Oil/Natural Gas Is ‘Delusional,’ UN Climate Chief Says
[Posted: March 19, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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