Trump Administration Moves to End EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Tracking
BREAKING: The Trump administration is taking immediate action to end the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which tracks emissions from over 8,000 industrial facilities. This decision, confirmed today, could have sweeping implications for public health and environmental oversight.
URGENT UPDATE: The program, in place since 2009, requires reporting on greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that terminating this program could save American businesses as much as $2.4 billion in regulatory costs. However, experts warn that this move could prevent crucial data on industrial emissions from reaching the public and policymakers.
According to Zeldin, the program is not essential for improving human health or environmental conditions, arguing that it represents unnecessary red tape. He emphasized that the agency will still comply with the Clean Air Act, even as they propose to delay data collection requirements until 2034 for certain fossil fuel facilities under the Inflation Reduction Act from the Biden administration.
However, critics are sounding alarms.
“Cutting the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program blinds Americans to the facts about climate pollution,”
stated Joseph Goffman, former assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. Goffman, now with the Environmental Protection Network, insisted that without this program, stakeholders cannot make informed decisions to mitigate emissions effectively.
Health experts echo these concerns.
“Measuring and reporting climate pollution is a critical step in reducing the deadly impacts of climate-driven extremes,”
warned Will Barrett of the American Lung Association. He stressed that ignoring climate data poses serious risks to public health, as it could lead to increased pollution and associated health emergencies.
The EPA is expected to open a public comment period to gather feedback on this controversial proposal, but the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. The potential end of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program aligns with the administration’s broader efforts to scale back climate research and oversight, raising fears among environmental advocates about the future of air quality and climate accountability in the United States.
As the situation develops, stakeholders are urged to pay close attention to the implications of this policy shift. The future of greenhouse gas emissions tracking and its impact on public health and the environment hangs in the balance. Stay tuned for updates on this urgent issue that could affect millions of Americans.
