EPA Chief Lee Zeldin announced what he’s calling the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” within the EPA by overhauling 31 environmental rules dating back to the Obama era.
“[The EPA’s] announcement could put millions of Americans’ health in jeopardy and is antithetical to EPA’s core mission,” said Conrad Schneider, U.S. senior director at the Clean Air Task Force. “Deregulating emissions from power plants, oil and gas facilities, cars, trucks and more is dangerous and erroneous action that will hurt American’s safety and wellbeing.”
Some rules facing overhaul include:
- Power plant emissions regulations (Clean Power Plan 2.0): On May 1, President Joe Biden’s EPA released the Clean Power Plan 2.0, requiring coal plants set to retire before 2035 and 2040 to reduce emissions by 16 percent; any coal plants operating past 2040 are expected to reduce emissions by 90 percent.
- Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP): The Obama-era rule requires large emitters, fuel and industrial gas suppliers to report greenhouse gas emissions and other relevant information to the EPA.
- Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines: Updated in 2024, the rule places strict guidelines on the level of toxins released in wastewater associated with coal plants.
- Technology Transition Rule: This rule sets limits on technologies that emit hydrofluorocarbons in specific sectors, requiring businesses to transition to more efficient models of the tech as its developed.
- 2009 Endangerment Finding: This Obama-era regulation classifies carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride as a public health threat.
“The EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars,” Zeldin said, without offering evidence, in a video posted along with the EPA’s statement.
It’s important to clarify that no regulations have been changed as of yet. Zeldin merely announced his intention to “reassess” specific programs in the near future. But even the potential of changing regulations for which corporations and utilities have had to reconfigure their operations is destabilizing. And while some may find it easier to adjust to a change in relatively recent policy, Obama-era regulations have been business-as-usual for more than 15 years.
In any case, there is no definitive timeline for these changes. And it’s likely that dismantling the reported 31 rules will be a complicated process slowed by lawsuits.
“Before finalizing any of these actions, the law says EPA must propose its changes, justify them with science and the law, and listen to the public and respond to its concerns,” said Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at NRDC in a statement.
The extent to which the EPA or the Trump administration will follow the law remains an open question.
What’s next
For sustainability professionals, the EPA’s announced intentions — and potential for pushback — promise regulatory uncertainty. That will mean disruption to both day-to-day business operations and long-term planning. Any investments or actions intended to comply with Obama- or Biden-era rules may be obsolete if the relevant regulations are stripped down or removed altogether. In short, this development leaves many professionals with a giant question mark on their 2025-2026 budgets moving forward.
Trellis will continue to monitor the story as it progresses.
