Long-Lasting Impact of Trump’s EPA Rollbacks on Environmental Policy
US President Donald Trump is aggressively shrinking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with recent actions culminating in the rescindment of the crucial “endangerment finding.” This finding underpins key regulations aimed at controlling planet-warming pollution.
Unlike during Trump’s first term, the latest changes may be more challenging to reverse, potentially leading to long-lasting impacts on public health and the economy. Over the past year, the EPA has surpassed the staff and program cuts made during a similar period previously. Additionally, it has initiated more pollution control rollbacks, with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin boasting about “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen.”
The rapid pace of these changes is attributed to the EPA breaking historical precedents and testing the legal boundaries of administrative and environmental laws, as noted by interviews with current and former EPA staffers, advocates, historians, scientists, and legal experts.
Rescinding the endangerment finding is a significant shift for an EPA now focused on sweeping deregulation. This action reverses a key scientific determination that greenhouse gases are harmful, which supports a range of federal climate policies aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles and industrial sources. The previous Trump administration had initially planned a public debate on climate science, viewed as a precursor to challenging the finding, but ultimately abandoned the effort.
Legal challenges are expected to arise immediately from this move. Joseph Goffman, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under President Joe Biden, indicated that the administration aims to bring the issue before the Supreme Court, hoping that its conservative majority will uphold the repeal. If successful, this would severely restrict the agency’s ability to enact climate rules long after Trump leaves office, placing the responsibility for pollution reductions on Congress.
The EPA’s legal track record has been mixed. While a court order forced it to reverse course on the firing of some employees early last year, it has also achieved legal victories, including an appeals court recently upholding the agency’s cancellation of billions in climate grants. As the agency races to finalize more regulations and policy changes, further lawsuits are anticipated.
The EPA defends these changes as necessary for recalibrating government overreach, claiming that previous administrations hurt the economy.
“Under President Trump, the EPA is demonstrating what previous administrations refused to accept: that we can protect the environment while fostering economic growth,” stated EPA Press Secretary Brigit Hirsch. “We are delivering cleaner air, land, and water while driving economic expansion.”
Many companies have welcomed the deregulatory push. Major refineries, petrochemical facilities, and power plants have taken the EPA up on its offer to apply for presidential exemptions from various Biden-era air pollution rules.
However, some industries have expressed concerns. The Edison Electric Institute, representing investor-owned power companies, noted in a public comment that ending federal regulation of greenhouse gas pollution from power plants could hinder growth, especially as the industry adapts to the electricity demands of artificial intelligence and updates the grid. They warned it could lead to fragmented state-level regulations, lawsuits, and unpredictable permitting processes.
Former EPA officials caution that the Trump administration’s changes are likely to increase pollution and worsen health issues such as asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Over the long term, these changes could undermine the agency established over 50 years ago by then-President Richard Nixon to safeguard the environment and public health.
“It’s astonishing how an agency created by a Republican administration, supported by bipartisan efforts, has now become an adversary to the environment,” remarked Christine Todd Whitman, EPA administrator under President George W. Bush and former Republican governor of New Jersey. “This is alarming because recovery will take a long time.”
Recently, the EPA also ended emissions standards for automobiles, which were justified by the endangerment finding. The transportation sector is responsible for 28% of US emissions, making it the largest source.
According to tracking by Columbia University researchers, the EPA has already enacted over 40 deregulatory actions since Trump’s second term began, compared to almost 60 throughout his first term.
“Implementing significant changes early in an administration poses challenges for future administrations,” stated Romany Webb, deputy director of Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. “Actions taken later in a presidential term are generally easier to reverse.”
A new set of tactics
EPA officials are employing strategies that make their changes more difficult to overturn or allow for quicker implementation.
For instance, the Trump administration has sought assistance from other government branches. In his previous term, the EPA revoked California’s authority to set stricter vehicle emissions standards, which the Biden administration later reinstated. This time, the EPA has requested Congressional intervention. When California attempted to impose stricter vehicle emission standards, the Trump administration took the matter to court and won a temporary injunction blocking state efforts as the lawsuit continues.
The agency has also discovered ways to swiftly alter policy while bypassing the formal rulemaking process. In 2020, it finalized a new rule to change how it assessed costs and benefits from pollution-reduction rules. Biden reversed this rule. In January, the EPA took a different, quicker approach by simply eliminating the monetary value of public health benefits from reducing two key air pollutants in its analyses — “actions that go way beyond” the 2020 rule, according to Bryan Hubbell, a senior fellow at the economics think tank Resources for the Future.
In some instances, while the policy changes may be easily reversible, the emissions they generate will persist in the atmosphere for decades. For example, Trump circumvented the bureaucratic challenges of rolling back certain Biden-era rules by issuing presidential waivers granting polluters two-year exemptions. This extensive use of executive power is unprecedented, according to former EPA officials.
Simultaneously, the EPA is extending compliance deadlines for other Biden regulations. For instance, it has granted oil and gas companies additional time to repair leaky equipment and coal plants more time to manage their waste. A similar proposal to delay deadlines for reducing potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners is still under review.
These delays prolong pollution that was on track for reduction, noted Elizabeth Southerland, a former top EPA water official who resigned during Trump’s first term. US greenhouse gas emissions surged in 2025, reversing two years of decline, according to estimates from the research firm Rhodium Group. This increase is partly due to heightened coal production, facilitated by the Trump administration.
EPA alumni working with the Environmental Protection Network released a report in 2024 estimating that various Biden-era air rules would prevent over 100 million asthma attacks through 2050, resulting in fewer missed days of school and work. With Trump exempting companies from some of these standards, Southerland remarked, “we will no longer benefit from that significant asthma relief.”
Lost knowledge
As the EPA has rolled back regulations, it has also limited access to publicly available environmental information.
Last February, the EPA removed EJScreen, a free online mapping tool for environmental hazards, and eliminated a database of corporate risk-management plans introduced by the Biden administration. This database listed dangerous materials stored by corporations and their emergency response plans. The agency claims this information is still accessible for in-person viewing and through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Without knowledge of pollution locations, communities cannot effectively organize to protect themselves. “Removing this information from public access puts communities at significant risk,” stated Gretchen Gehrke, who monitors federal website changes for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative. There are numerous historical instances of accidental releases of hazardous substances that have harmed workers and nearby residents, she added.
While the Trump administration’s rapid and strategic dismantling of the EPA’s authority has raised concerns, current and former staffers emphasize that the swift loss of personnel will have the most enduring impact.
During Trump’s first term, the EPA lost approximately 1,200 employees. It is projected to lose over 3,500 by September, according to EPA estimates — more than 20% of its total workforce. This decline results from a combination of layoffs, the firing of whistleblowers, resignations, and thousands opting for early retirement or voluntary departure.
Many senior scientists, lawyers, and long-term employees have departed, taking invaluable institutional knowledge with them, remarked Justin Chen, president of the agency union American Federation of Government Employees Council 238.
“Rebuilding will take years, if not decades,” he added.
Photo: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has proudly boasted about “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen.” Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump is aggressively shrinking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with recent actions culminating in the rescindment of the crucial “endangerment finding.” This finding underpins key regulations aimed at controlling planet-warming pollution.
Unlike during Trump’s first term, the latest changes may be more challenging to reverse, potentially leading to long-lasting impacts on public health and the economy. Over the past year, the EPA has surpassed the staff and program cuts made during a similar period previously. Additionally, it has initiated more pollution control rollbacks, with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin boasting about “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen.”
The rapid pace of these changes is attributed to the EPA breaking historical precedents and testing the legal boundaries of administrative and environmental laws, as noted by interviews with current and former EPA staffers, advocates, historians, scientists, and legal experts.
Rescinding the endangerment finding is a significant shift for an EPA now focused on sweeping deregulation. This action reverses a key scientific determination that greenhouse gases are harmful, which supports a range of federal climate policies aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles and industrial sources. The previous Trump administration had initially planned a public debate on climate science, viewed as a precursor to challenging the finding, but ultimately abandoned the effort.
Legal challenges are expected to arise immediately from this move. Joseph Goffman, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under President Joe Biden, indicated that the administration aims to bring the issue before the Supreme Court, hoping that its conservative majority will uphold the repeal. If successful, this would severely restrict the agency’s ability to enact climate rules long after Trump leaves office, placing the responsibility for pollution reductions on Congress.
The EPA’s legal track record has been mixed. While a court order forced it to reverse course on the firing of some employees early last year, it has also achieved legal victories, including an appeals court recently upholding the agency’s cancellation of billions in climate grants. As the agency races to finalize more regulations and policy changes, further lawsuits are anticipated.
The EPA defends these changes as necessary for recalibrating government overreach, claiming that previous administrations hurt the economy.
“Under President Trump, the EPA is demonstrating what previous administrations refused to accept: that we can protect the environment while fostering economic growth,” stated EPA Press Secretary Brigit Hirsch. “We are delivering cleaner air, land, and water while driving economic expansion.”
Many companies have welcomed the deregulatory push. Major refineries, petrochemical facilities, and power plants have taken the EPA up on its offer to apply for presidential exemptions from various Biden-era air pollution rules.
However, some industries have expressed concerns. The Edison Electric Institute, representing investor-owned power companies, noted in a public comment that ending federal regulation of greenhouse gas pollution from power plants could hinder growth, especially as the industry adapts to the electricity demands of artificial intelligence and updates the grid. They warned it could lead to fragmented state-level regulations, lawsuits, and unpredictable permitting processes.
Former EPA officials caution that the Trump administration’s changes are likely to increase pollution and worsen health issues such as asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Over the long term, these changes could undermine the agency established over 50 years ago by then-President Richard Nixon to safeguard the environment and public health.
“It’s astonishing how an agency created by a Republican administration, supported by bipartisan efforts, has now become an adversary to the environment,” remarked Christine Todd Whitman, EPA administrator under President George W. Bush and former Republican governor of New Jersey. “This is alarming because recovery will take a long time.”
Recently, the EPA also ended emissions standards for automobiles, which were justified by the endangerment finding. The transportation sector is responsible for 28% of US emissions, making it the largest source.
According to tracking by Columbia University researchers, the EPA has already enacted over 40 deregulatory actions since Trump’s second term began, compared to almost 60 throughout his first term.
“Implementing significant changes early in an administration poses challenges for future administrations,” stated Romany Webb, deputy director of Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. “Actions taken later in a presidential term are generally easier to reverse.”
A new set of tactics
EPA officials are employing strategies that make their changes more difficult to overturn or allow for quicker implementation.
For instance, the Trump administration has sought assistance from other government branches. In his previous term, the EPA revoked California’s authority to set stricter vehicle emissions standards, which the Biden administration later reinstated. This time, the EPA has requested Congressional intervention. When California attempted to impose stricter vehicle emission standards, the Trump administration took the matter to court and won a temporary injunction blocking state efforts as the lawsuit continues.
The agency has also discovered ways to swiftly alter policy while bypassing the formal rulemaking process. In 2020, it finalized a new rule to change how it assessed costs and benefits from pollution-reduction rules. Biden reversed this rule. In January, the EPA took a different, quicker approach by simply eliminating the monetary value of public health benefits from reducing two key air pollutants in its analyses — “actions that go way beyond” the 2020 rule, according to Bryan Hubbell, a senior fellow at the economics think tank Resources for the Future.
In some instances, while the policy changes may be easily reversible, the emissions they generate will persist in the atmosphere for decades. For example, Trump circumvented the bureaucratic challenges of rolling back certain Biden-era rules by issuing presidential waivers granting polluters two-year exemptions. This extensive use of executive power is unprecedented, according to former EPA officials.
Simultaneously, the EPA is extending compliance deadlines for other Biden regulations. For instance, it has granted oil and gas companies additional time to repair leaky equipment and coal plants more time to manage their waste. A similar proposal to delay deadlines for reducing potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners is still under review.
These delays prolong pollution that was on track for reduction, noted Elizabeth Southerland, a former top EPA water official who resigned during Trump’s first term. US greenhouse gas emissions surged in 2025, reversing two years of decline, according to estimates from the research firm Rhodium Group. This increase is partly due to heightened coal production, facilitated by the Trump administration.
EPA alumni working with the Environmental Protection Network released a report in 2024 estimating that various Biden-era air rules would prevent over 100 million asthma attacks through 2050, resulting in fewer missed days of school and work. With Trump exempting companies from some of these standards, Southerland remarked, “we will no longer benefit from that significant asthma relief.”
Lost knowledge
As the EPA has rolled back regulations, it has also limited access to publicly available environmental information.
Last February, the EPA removed EJScreen, a free online mapping tool for environmental hazards, and eliminated a database of corporate risk-management plans introduced by the Biden administration. This database listed dangerous materials stored by corporations and their emergency response plans. The agency claims this information is still accessible for in-person viewing and through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Without knowledge of pollution locations, communities cannot effectively organize to protect themselves. “Removing this information from public access puts communities at significant risk,” stated Gretchen Gehrke, who monitors federal website changes for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative. There are numerous historical instances of accidental releases of hazardous substances that have harmed workers and nearby residents, she added.
While the Trump administration’s rapid and strategic dismantling of the EPA’s authority has raised concerns, current and former staffers emphasize that the swift loss of personnel will have the most enduring impact.
During Trump’s first term, the EPA lost approximately 1,200 employees. It is projected to lose over 3,500 by September, according to EPA estimates — more than 20% of its total workforce. This decline results from a combination of layoffs, the firing of whistleblowers, resignations, and thousands opting for early retirement or voluntary departure.
Many senior scientists, lawyers, and long-term employees have departed, taking invaluable institutional knowledge with them, remarked Justin Chen, president of the agency union American Federation of Government Employees Council 238.
“Rebuilding will take years, if not decades,” he added.
Photo: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has proudly boasted about “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen.” Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg
