July 29th 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Milagros R. Elia
Program Manager, Climate and Clean Energy Advocacy
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
milagros@envirn.org
914.455.1165
Nurses Reject Proposal to End Endangerment Finding Due to Health Harms
[Washington, D.C.] Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their proposal entitled “Reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards” as part of their plan to reverse the 2015 emissions standards for new fossil fuel-fired power plants, which were issued during the Obama-Biden Administration, as well as the 2024 rule for new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants issued during the Biden-Harris Administration. The 2024 rule would create substantial climate and health benefits, avoiding up to 1,200 premature deaths, 360,000 cases of asthma symptoms and 57,000 lost workdays in 2035.
The Clean Air Act allows EPA to regulate emissions from sources that significantly contribute to air pollution and endanger public health. The proposed reversal of this longstanding landmark scientific finding, also referred to as the “endangerment finding,” would remove the federal government’s main tools to combat climate change by arguing that greenhouse gas emissions from power plants do not meet this threshold. It is anticipated that by reversing the endangerment finding, the legality of federal rules under the Clean Air Act, which limit not only greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, but also limit greenhouse gas pollution from cars and trucks would also be called into question. Rolling back vehicle pollution standards would expose people across the country to significantly more air pollution from vehicle exhaust, putting the 72 million Americans living nearby major trucking routes and those with chronic conditions at elevated risk. Residents in these ‘fenceline’ areas are disproportionately likely to be people of color or come from low-income households. EPA’s prior finalized rules for cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks, proposed to cut carbon emissions from tailpipes by more than 60% by 2032 which were viewed as a necessary step to address the climate crisis.
In response to the announcement Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Executive Director Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN issued the following statement:
“For this administration to state that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change defies not only well-established science but goes against decades of bipartisan collaboration that protects clean air. Reversing the endangerment finding has serious consequences for millions of people across the nation. Without the strong climate action mandated by the endangerment finding, nurses will continue to see an accelerating climate crisis which will worsen extreme heat days and emergency visits for dehydration, and increase extreme weather events, such as floods and wildfires, which will continue to impact our clinics, hospitals, and communities.
“If the administration additionally succeeds in rolling back vehicle pollution standards, more Americans will be at risk of breathing dirtier air across the country. By rolling back these protective standards, American families will face significantly more air pollution from motor vehicle exhaust, worsening the risks of asthma attacks along with aggravating symptoms of many other chronic debilitating lung conditions and heart disease.Those harmed the worst will be those who are already the most vulnerable in our communities.
“As nurses, we will continue fighting for climate justice and urge all nurses to speak up about how these decisions affect our profession, our patients, and communities, now and for generations to come.”
EPA will hold public hearings for the Reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards to begin August 19th and 20th, with an additional session possible on August 21st. EPA asks those wishing to speak to pre-register by August 12th by sending an email to EPA-MobileSource-Hearings@epa.gov . Written comments can be submitted through September 21st. ANHE will be mobilizing nurses to raise their voices in the upcoming comment period.
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
