EPA's reversal of the formal 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten humans will be issued Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Why it matters: Rescinding the "endangerment finding" is the Trump administration's most direct effort yet to rip out climate regulations root and branch — and make it harder for a successor to impose new ones.
The big picture: "This amounts to the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told the Wall Street Journal.
- Leavitt said Tuesday that the move "is just one more way this administration is working to make life more affordable for everyday Americans."
- The rule is certain to draw litigation that will play out over years.
State of play: The agency is planning to remove the finding with respect to motor vehicle emissions specifically.
- But that could bring challenges to regulation of emissions from power plants, oil and gas sites, and beyond.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect White House's announcement that the repeal would occur on Thursday.
