Problem Solvers: Polluters over people; EPA’s repeal of emission standards puts Oregon’s climate goals in jeopardy

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) In what President Donald Trump called "the single largest deregulatory action in American history, by far." his administration revoked the 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Endangerment Finding. Essentially pulling the federal rug out from under states and their emission standards. It limits states powers to regulate emissions and puts Oregon off track for its greenhouse gas reduction benchmarks. This decision has drawn strong opposition, with 25 states, including Oregon, joining a lawsuit to challenge the repeal.

The action undoes a decades-long approach to environmental policy that allowed states to build off of federal emission standards.

The 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding provided the scientific and technical foundation for the federal government's regulation of climate pollution. Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases nationwide and in Oregon. Gerik Kransky, senior transportation policy advisor for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality told me "pollution from vehicle tailpipes creates about 35% of the state's climate emissions."

The repeal of the Endangerment Finding represents a shift in environmental policy that has historically operated under a system of cooperative federalism. Central Oregon Democratic representative Emerson Levy noted this system, where the EPA established a baseline, allows states to implement more stringent regulations. "All of our federal policies and all of our environmental policies since the Nixon administration has operated under a system of cooperative federalism where the EPA set the floor but the states they would set the ceiling, so they could always go above the floor and basically what the administration is saying now is there isn't a floor but what I worry for is the signal that this is sending us is that they don't want to be our partner and that undoes 50 years of cooperative federalism on these issues," Levy said.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Oregon's DEQ outlined their concerns in a letter to the White House. Stating the repeal of the 2009 Endangerment finding and the Clean Air Act would negatively affect Oregon. "The harms of recession would fall directly on the people of Oregon," Kotek said. She also emphasized the importance of federal standards, adding, "GHG emission standards for vehicles and power plants are essential to Oregon meeting climate-change mitigation targets." The City of Bend also expressed strong opposition to the EPA's decision in a letter. The city highlighted that a lack of federal standards could worsen fire seasons, making them more severe and increasing threats to Central Oregonians.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the administration's decision to revoke the finding, critiquing the scientific process the EPA, under then president Barack Obama, used to reach the finding. "To reach the 2009 endangerment finding, they relied on the most pessimistic views of the science," Zeldin said. He added, "We can rely on 2025 facts as opposed to 2009 bad assumptions." President Donald Trump called the 2009 finding "one of the greatest scams in history." However, scientists worldwide quickly asserted that the evidence supporting the endangerment finding has only grown stronger in the 17 years since its publication. Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality also told KTVZ News a direct connection exists between climate pollution and the impacts of drought and wildfire across Oregon.

Twenty-five states across the country are suing the repeal of the Endangerment Finding. This legal action is expected to prolong the dispute over federal climate regulations. "25 states have joined in a lawsuit and so I think honestly this thing will be tied up in litigation for a long time," Rep. Emerson Levy said.

Despite the repeal of the Endangerment Finding, leaders in Oregon remain committed to managing emissions. Officials from the Department of Environmental Quality and elected officials in Bend recognize the importance of limiting emissions to protect the state's forests, water and natural environment. What else makes our community so great, if not the natural beauty surrounding us.