Action to Preserve the EPA’s Endangerment Finding

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CALL TO ACTION ON THE EPA’S ENDANGERMENT FINDING

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed rescinding the Endangerment Finding, which would eliminate EPA’s requirement to protect people from the pollution that causes climate change. See the above link to the EPA’s own press release regarding their desire to rescind this regulation.

Time is running out to defend the EPA’s Endangerment Finding (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194), the scientific and legal foundation for regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. This finding has been the bedrock of federal climate action since 2009, and we must act now to prevent its rescission.

You can submit a written comment before the Sept. 22, 11:59pm deadline. Use the following link and click on Comment just below the Proposed Rule: Regulations.gov. Please use the email response address due to the deadline of September 22nd. It’s too late to use the mail.
Email: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov. Include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194 in the subject line of the message.

Below is a sample template you can use. Please include your personal story (e.g., health impacts, concerns for future generations) using the template. Or you can use Earthjustice’s Easy Action Page to submit a Comment: Personalize & submit a pre-written comment. In your comments, be respectful but firm since this is a legal proceeding.

Please spread the word by forwarding this email to friends, family, and networks who care about climate action and sharing on social media.

Here is a sample template you can use:

As an Ohio resident, I am deeply concerned about the proposal to rescind the Endangerment Finding, which protects our air, health, and economic future. Climate change is already harming our state—from extreme weather to poor air quality—and weakening this critical safeguard would be a huge step backward.

Ohio’s children, farmers, businesses, and vulnerable communities depend on strong climate protections. The Clean Air Act’s Endangerment Finding is based on overwhelming scientific evidence that greenhouse gases threaten public health. Revoking it would ignore science, endanger lives, and betray all future generations.

I strongly urge the EPA to uphold the Endangerment Finding and continue using the Clean Air Act to address the climate crisis. Our health and our children’s future depend on it.

UUA President Sofía Betancourt is calling on all who care about our planet and its people to weigh in against this effort to rescind the basis for federal climate action.

READ PRESIDENT SOFÍA’S STATEMENT in support of the justice action.

Simple overview provided by google IA
The EPA “Endangerment Finding Act” isn’t a single piece of legislation, but rather the formal determination by the EPA that six greenhouse gases (GHGs) endanger public health and welfare, a prerequisite under the Clean Air Act for regulating their emissions. Issued in 2009, it legally links GHG emissions to climate change and permits the EPA to regulate them from sources like motor vehicles and power plants. In 2025, the EPA proposed to rescind this finding, potentially removing the legal basis for many existing climate-related regulations. 

What is the Endangerment Finding?

  • A prerequisite for regulation:The Endangerment Finding is the EPA’s official declaration that greenhouse gases are a form of “air pollution” under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. 
  • Basis for climate action:It found that emissions of six GHGs—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—pose a danger to public health and welfare by contributing to climate change. 
  • Legal Authority:The 2009 finding, issued after a landmark Supreme Court decision (Massachusetts v. EPA), established the legal authority for the EPA to set limits on GHG emissions from vehicles and other stationary sources. 

Why is it Important?

  • Regulation of Pollution:It allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases, similar to other pollutants, to protect public health and the environment. 
  • Impact on Regulations:It serves as the legal foundation for many existing regulations aimed at reducing planet-warming pollution from cars, trucks, and power plants. 

Recent Developments

Consequences of Repeal:
Opponents of the repeal argue it would effectively remove the government’s power to control climate pollution, provide a “free pass to polluters,” and could lead to increased climate-related dangers. 

Proposed Rescission:In 2025, the EPA proposed to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding. 

Arguments for Repeal:The agency argues that the original finding was based on outdated science and that repealing it would provide certainty and relief for consumers and manufacturers by allowing a broader range of vehicle choices. 

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