Overview

• The EPA has proposed rescinding its 2009 endangerment finding, the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants and oil and gas operations under the Clean Air Act
• The rulemaking launches a 45-day public comment period and cannot be finalized before December, with industry forecasts of prolonged legal challenges to follow
• A Department of Energy–commissioned report by five climate-skeptic scientists disputes prevailing models of warming and economic impacts but lacks external peer review and is open for public comment
• Leading environmental groups including EDF, UCS and NRDC have condemned the rollback as antiscience and vowed to file lawsuits to uphold the finding
• Automakers, utilities and other stakeholders warn that repealing the finding risks regulatory uncertainty and a patchwork of state rules despite an estimated $52–$54 billion in annual compliance savings