EPA Chief Lee Zeldin Tells Heartland Climate‑Skeptic Conference to 'Celebrate Vindication' After Repeal of Greenhouse‑Gas Endangerment Finding
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, in a Wednesday keynote at the Heartland Institute’s Washington, D.C., conference, hailed the repeal of the greenhouse‑gas endangerment finding as "a day to celebrate vindication," saying it reversed "decades of unthinking adherence" to liberal politicians and environmental groups and noting the administration has stated the EPA does not have legal authority to regulate climate change. The remarks drew sharp criticism from Environmental Defense Fund U.S. director Joe Bonfiglio, who called Heartland a "disinformation factory" and accused Zeldin of "promoting disinformation" and "rallying climate deniers," while EPA spokeswoman Carolyn Holran defended the move as ending "the era of EPA as a vehicle for radical ideology" and saying Zeldin is guided by "gold standard science, not doomsday models."
📌 Key Facts
- Zeldin delivered a Wednesday keynote at the Heartland Institute conference in Washington, D.C.; Heartland is a conservative think tank that rejects mainstream climate science.
- Zeldin said the repeal of the EPA's greenhouse-gas endangerment finding was "a day to celebrate vindication," framing it as reversing "decades of unthinking adherence" to liberal politicians and environmental groups.
- The EPA under Zeldin has stated it "does not have legal authority to regulate climate change," a stark articulation of the agency's position following the repeal.
- Environmental Defense Fund U.S. director Joe Bonfiglio called Heartland a "disinformation factory" and said Zeldin’s speech was "promoting disinformation" and "rallying climate deniers."
- EPA spokeswoman Carolyn Holran dismissed critics, saying "the era of EPA as a vehicle for radical ideology is over" and that Zeldin is guided by "gold standard science, not doomsday models."
📊 Relevant Data
Communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to experience nature deficits, which exacerbate vulnerabilities to climate change impacts such as extreme weather and heat.
The Nature Gap: Communities of Color and Those With Low Incomes Are Bearing the Brunt of America’s Nature Loss — Center for American Progress
Black Americans experienced the highest rates of PM2.5-related cardiovascular deaths between 2000 and 2019, with the disparity compared to other groups widening over time despite overall declines.
Cardiovascular deaths from air pollution declining in the U.S., but racial disparities persist — Yale School of Public Health
Indigenous communities in the US experienced 1.68 times more PM2.5 exposure from wildfire smoke than expected based on population share, compared to other groups.
Long-term health effects and racial disparities in wildfire smoke exposure — PreventionWeb
The repeal of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding is estimated to result in $1.3 trillion in savings for the American public, primarily through lower energy prices and reduced regulatory compliance costs.
EPA Renounces Authority to Regulate Greenhouse Gases — Eno Center for Transportation
Black and Asian populations face the greatest absolute disparities in health burdens from PM2.5 and ozone pollution related to oil and gas activities, with population percentages showing Blacks at 13% and Asians at 6% of the US population.
The health burden and racial-ethnic disparities of air pollution from the oil and gas lifecycle stages in the United States — Science Advances
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms the event timing and setting: Zeldin’s remarks came Wednesday in a keynote address at a Heartland Institute conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by a conservative think tank that 'rejects mainstream climate science.'
- Adds a specific Zeldin quote that he called the repeal 'a day to celebrate vindication' and framed it as reversing 'decades of unthinking adherence' to liberal politicians and environmental groups.
- Documents that EPA under Trump has now explicitly said it 'does not have legal authority to regulate climate change,' a stark formulation of its position.
- Includes fresh criticism from Environmental Defense Fund U.S. director Joe Bonfiglio, who calls Heartland a 'disinformation factory' and Zeldin’s speech 'promoting disinformation' and 'rallying climate deniers.'
- Quotes EPA spokeswoman Carolyn Holran dismissing critics and asserting that 'the era of EPA as a vehicle for radical ideology is over' and that Zeldin is guided by 'gold standard science, not doomsday models.'