Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, according to a Feb. 12 announcement. The Endangerment Finding had determined that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution, which drives climate change and threatens public health and welfare.
The issue is significant because the original finding was based on a landmark Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA in 2007, which confirmed that the EPA has authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases if they are found to endanger public health or welfare. After scientific review, the agency concluded in 2009 that such emissions do harm Americans in numerous ways and set standards accordingly.
Clark said that rescinding this finding relies on an argument already rejected by the Supreme Court—that EPA lacks legal authority to regulate these emissions—and ignores established science about their dangers. The new rule eliminates all current and future federal vehicle greenhouse gas standards, which Clark said violates “the agency’s legal obligations and fundamental responsibility to protect public health and welfare from environmental harm.”
In fall of 2025, Clark joined a coalition of attorneys general as well as counties and cities urging EPA not to proceed with its proposal. They argued it would violate settled law, clear Supreme Court precedent, and scientific consensus; put hundreds of millions at risk—especially those already facing environmental burdens; and disrupt regulatory frameworks with potentially catastrophic consequences for residents, industries, natural resources, and public investments.
The broader implications of this move could affect not only federal policy but also local communities across America who rely on strong environmental protections for their well-being.
