WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2026 — The administration of President Donald Trump on Thursday formally repealed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 “endangerment finding” — the scientific and legal basis that greenhouse gas emissions threaten human health and welfare and enabled federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act.

Trump announced the move at a White House event with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who described the repeal as the “largest deregulatory action in American history.” The decision also eliminates federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks and undercuts regulatory authority over carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants.

The administration argues the rollback will reduce regulatory costs — a claim projected to save U.S. taxpayers $1.3 trillion and lower vehicle prices — while freeing industries from what officials call burdensome climate rules.

Critics warn the repeal endangers public health and worsens climate change impacts by removing federal authority to curb emissions from major sources like transportation and power generation. Former President Barack Obama and climate advocates said the decision will leave Americans “less safe” and hinder efforts to combat global warming. Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice, pledged immediate legal challenges, which could escalate to the Supreme Court.