HARTFORD, CT - Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, and Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, released the following statements in response to today’s announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it is rescinding the “endangerment finding” – an Obama-era determination that allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

The endangerment finding reflects the scientifically supported and widely understood connection between greenhouse gases, air pollution, and harm to human health and the environment.

Governor Lamont said, “Rolling back these protections puts our communities – especially our children, seniors, and vulnerable populations – at greater risk from the harmful effects of greenhouse gas pollution. Connecticut has a proud, bipartisan history of standing up for environmental safeguards, and we won’t sit by while decades of progress are dismantled. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that greenhouse gases are, in fact, air pollution and therefore subject to the Clean Air Act, a landmark law for over half a century that empowers our federal government to protect public health and the environment from harmful emissions. Connecticut was one of 11 states that petitioned the court to decide this question. Now, instead of doing the hard work to clean up the air we breathe, the Trump administration is encouraging more pollution and ignoring the health and well-being of millions of Americans.”

Attorney General Tong said, “The endangerment finding is about as non-controversial as it gets. It is the foundation for federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, and without it, Connecticut’s air quality will deteriorate, and Connecticut residents – particularly those with asthma and other respiratory diseases – will suffer. The recission of the endangerment finding would strip our ability to curb these emissions at the exact moment when we are starting to see the frightening effects of climate change around the world in the form of more powerful storms, more frequent flooding, and rising temperatures. This is yet another attack on established science from this administration, which will only result in people and communities getting hurt. We will not let Trump and Zeldin do this without a fight.”

Commissioner Dykes said, “It is settled science that greenhouse gases pollute the air and contribute significantly to poor air quality. Connecticut suffers from some of the worst air quality in the United States, and greenhouse gas emissions, including from vehicles, contribute to air pollution that exacerbates respiratory illness, resulting in tens of millions of dollars spent on related healthcare costs in our state every year. The EPA’s mission is to protect the environment and ensure clean air, land, and water for Americans.  Today’s announcement not only would hurt our ability to improve our air quality, but also would put us at greater risk for climate-related impacts, such as extreme weather events like those we’ve experienced in recent years, making Connecticut less safe.”

Commissioner Juthani said, “There is nothing more elemental to life and health than the air we breathe. Extensive research and numerous studies have shown a clear link between greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and various detrimental impacts on public health. Poor air quality exacerbates existing health problems and creates new ones. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, driven by climate change, can increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, worsen air and water quality, and alter the amount of disease-carrying insects and pathogens. These factors can lead to a range of health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, heatstroke, foodborne and waterborne illnesses, and mental health problems. The EPA’s proposed repeal of the endangerment findings will impede our progress of improving air quality and has the potential of endangering thousands of Connecticut residents.”

Following today’s announcement, the EPA next will open a 45-day public comment period, review those comments, and then issue a final rule. Further information on the public comment process and instructions for participation is expected to be published in the Federal Register and on the EPA’s website.