Environmental groups challenge Trump decision to revoke basis of US climate regulations

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A coalition of health and environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over its decision to revoke the scientific finding that forms the basis of U.S. climate regulations.

The legal challenge filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also challenges the Environmental Protection Agency's decision announced last week to repeal tailpipe rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. The groups suing include the Center for Biological Diversity,  American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen and  Sierra Club.

The EPA on Thursday said it would repeal the 17-year-old endangerment finding and also ended federal greenhouse gas emission standards for all vehicles and engines from model years 2012 to 2027.

The EPA did not immediately comment.

The move represents the most sweeping climate change policy rollback by the administration to date, after a string of regulatory cuts and other moves intended to unfetter fossil fuel development and stymie the rollout of clean energy.

The EPA said the repeal and end of vehicle emission standards will save U.S. taxpayers $1.3 trillion.

The administration of then President Joe Biden said in 2024 the rules would have net benefits to consumers through lower fuel costs and other savings. At the time, the EPA said consumers were expected to save an average of $6,000 over the lifetime of new vehicles from reduced fuel and maintenance costs.

Trump has said he believes climate change is a hoax, and has withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement, leaving the world’s largest historic contributor to global warming out of international efforts to combat it in addition to killing Biden-era tax credits aimed at accelerating deployment of electric cars and renewable energy.

The endangerment finding was first adopted by the United States in 2009, and led the EPA to take action under the Clean Air Act to curb emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and four other heat-trapping air pollutants from vehicles, power plants and other industries.

Its repeal would remove the regulatory requirements to measure, report, certify, and comply with federal greenhouse gas emission standards for cars, but may not initially apply to stationary sources such as power plants.

The transportation and power sectors are each responsible for around a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas output, according to EPA figures.