The Environmental Protection Agency proposed eliminating the 2009 Endangerment Finding during a visit to Indianapolis on July 29.
The rule is a legal cornerstone that allows the federal government to regulate greenhouse gases. The announcement was made during a press conference at a Kenworth truck dealership on the east side of Indianapolis.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the move, which would significantly limit the federal government’s ability to enforce climate regulations, represents a sweeping shift in environmental policy.
“With this proposal, the Trump EPA is proposing to end sixteen years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers,” Zeldin said. “In our work so far, many stakeholders have told me that the Obama and Biden EPAs twisted the law, ignored precedent, and warped science to achieve their preferred ends and stick American families with hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden taxes every single year.”
Zeldin called the Endangerment Finding “a falsehood” and said its repeal would constitute “the largest deregulatory action in the country’s history.”
Also at the announcement were Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, U.S. Rep. Jim Baird and Indiana Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworowski. All praised the proposal.
“The fact that we’re pivoting here in 2025 and it’s in our own state of Indiana, I’d say, ‘Hallelujah,’” Braun said.
Wright emphasized affordability.
“The practical application is going to be lower-cost vehicles, lower-cost consumer products, lower energy bills, and all the things Americans instinctually want,” Wright said.
Rokita downplayed concerns about environmental harm.
“Do not listen to those haters,” Rokita said. “The sky will not fall. We have the cleanest air, the cleanest water.”
Gary Langston, president of the Indiana Motor Trucking Association, joined federal and state officials in criticizing regulations that he said forced trucking companies to embrace electric vehicles too quickly.
“That mandate forced a single unproven technology onto an extremely complex and varied industry where one size does not fit all,” Langston said.
Supporters framed the repeal as an opportunity to reset national energy policy and restore consumer choice. They said the Endangerment Finding, originally established under the Obama administration, allowed federal agencies to regulate greenhouse gas emissions without sufficient legislative input.
But critics say repealing the finding could have far-reaching consequences for public health, legal precedent and international climate commitments.
Howard Learner, president of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, warned that any effort to roll back vehicle emission standards would require scientific proof that those emissions no longer pose a public danger.
Environmental groups noted that the EPA’s existing emissions rules are projected to prevent more than 82,000 premature deaths by 2055. Those rules are based on the very finding the agency is now seeking to undo.
Janet McCabe, a former EPA deputy administrator, told Indiana Public Broadcasting that she sees no scientific basis for reversing the finding. She warned the action could jeopardize long-term environmental and public health protections.
Public reaction in Indianapolis has been divided.
Some residents expressed optimism that the repeal could lead to lower vehicle prices and fuel costs. Others worried the move could worsen pollution, particularly in neighborhoods already experiencing high rates of asthma and other respiratory issues.
The EPA has opened a 45-day public comment period, which runs through mid-September. Officials said they will evaluate public input before moving to finalize the proposal.
Legal challenges are expected if the repeal moves forward. Courts have upheld the Endangerment Finding in the past, and environmental organizations have indicated they plan to fight any rollback in court.
For more information about the EPA, visit epa.gov.
This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information comes to light.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
