FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2025
CONTACT:
Aaron Bharucha, Public Relations Associate
(509) 429-1699 and epn-press@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org
Environmental Protection Network Denounces EPA’s Assault on Clean Air and Water Protections
Trump’s EPA Rollbacks Will Increase Pollution, Cost Lives and Undermine Public Health Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2025 — The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) strongly condemns the recent announcement by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to roll back over 30 critical environmental regulations, which he characterized yesterday as “the most consequential day of deregulation in American history.” These unprecedented regulatory reversals threaten decades of progress in protecting public health, preserving the environment and mitigating climate change.
EPN’s “Breathing Easy” report underscores the devastating consequences of these rollbacks, highlighting the enormous health and economic costs of weakening environmental protections. The findings demonstrate that the cost of inaction far outweighs the savings touted by deregulation advocates: 100 million additional asthma attacks and an estimated $300 billion in lost health and environmental benefits — six times greater than the purported cost savings from deregulation.
“Trump is taking a chainsaw to the EPA as a favor for corporate polluters, leaving everyone else to wonder what toxic pollution will be in the water we drink and the air we breathe,” said Michelle Roos, Executive Director at EPN.
At the center of these rollbacks is the proposal to overturn the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which scientifically established that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. This foundational ruling has enabled regulation of emissions under the Clean Air Act, and its revocation would dismantle the legal framework for combating climate change. Without these protections, the U.S. risks exacerbating the climate crisis and facing severe consequences for public health and economic stability.
“The regulations that Lee Zeldin is targeting for destruction offer Americans a future of better health, clean energy, meaningful action on climate change, and an innovative and thriving economy. If Zeldin’s deregulatory jihad succeeds, he will leave America a sicker and poorer place and helpless in the face of increasing emissions of the pollution that causes climate change,” declared Joseph Goffman, former Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
Among the other proposed deregulations are weakened emissions standards for coal and gas power plants, loosened vehicle pollution controls and relaxed methane leak regulations. These measures will inevitably lead to increased air pollution, exacerbating respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Public health experts warn that these changes could lead to a significant rise in premature deaths and hospitalizations due to pollution-related illnesses.
Zeldin has defended the rollbacks as a means of reducing regulatory costs and stimulating economic growth. However, this approach ignores the immense economic benefits derived from stringent environmental protections. Studies show that clean air and water regulations reduce healthcare expenses, enhance worker productivity and promote long-term economic stability. Weakening vehicle fuel efficiency standards and prioritizing fossil fuel consumption over renewable energy sources also puts the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage in the fast-growing global clean energy market.
The proposed reassessment of the “social cost of carbon,” a metric that quantifies the economic damage of carbon emissions, demonstrates a broader strategy to diminish the perceived impact of climate change. Additionally, attempts to challenge the overwhelming scientific consensus on greenhouse gas emissions threaten evidence-based policymaking and erode public trust in environmental governance.
The Environmental Protection Network remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding robust environmental protections that safeguard public health and ecological integrity. EPN urges the EPA to abandon these reckless rollbacks and recommit to policies rooted in scientific evidence. We call on policymakers, industry leaders, and the public to take a stand against these deregulatory actions and defend the essential protections that have preserved the health and well-being of our communities for generations.
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ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NETWORK
Founded in 2017, the Environmental Protection Network harnesses the expertise of more than 600 former EPA career staff and confirmation-level appointees from Democratic and Republican administrations to provide the unique perspective of former scientists and regulators with decades of historical and subject matter knowledge.