STATEWIDE — THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S proposed revocation of the endangerment finding for greenhouse gas emissions is being denounced for “moving our country backwards, eroding a decade of progress on clean air and ignoring science, threatening public health and putting New Yorkers at risk,” declares NY State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton. Her statement responds to the Trump administration’s Tuesday, July 29 proposal to eliminate a 2009 declaration that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. This endangerment finding provides the legal basis for fighting climate change through regulations under the Clean Air Act.
Contrasting the federal government’s proposal with New York’s policies under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s leadership, Lefton wrote, “New York State is investing billions of dollars transitioning to clean transportation. This investment is not just about addressing climate change; it is a direct public health strategy to improve air quality and the overall quality of life. Now is the time to push forward, not retreat, on environmental action.”
The US EPA’s website highlights a box stating that it’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” emphasizing “the greatness of the American economy.” Its administrator, Lee Zeldin, is a former New York Republican Congressmember who served eastern Long Island.
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