OMAHA (DTN) -- Making the case that climate rules lead to untold regulatory costs, the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced a wave of action to roll back nearly every climate-related rule released under the Biden administration and challenge the scientific decision behind those rules.

For farmers, the EPA moves could delay or end tighter emission standards on pickups and semi-trucks that were set to start in 2027.

EPA on Wednesday announced a flurry of actions to roll back regulatory standards tied to emissions from power plants, vehicles and industries. In each action, EPA stated the agency will "revisit" or "reconsider" the specific rule.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said EPA was taking 31 actions in total. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Zeldin declared that Wednesday was "the most consequential day of deregulation in American history." Zeldin said the EPA overhaul would be "driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America's Golden Age."

Among the announcements, EPA will reconsider the 2009 scientific finding by the agency that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. That ruling allowed EPA to begin regulating six major greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. While reconsidering the endangerment finding, EPA will review all regulatory actions tied to that decision.

Zeldin and other Trump administration officials said the endangerment finding negatively affects businesses and the economy in several ways.

"The Trump Administration will not sacrifice national prosperity, energy security, and the freedom of our people for an agenda that throttles our industries, our mobility, and our consumer choice while benefiting adversaries overseas," Zeldin said. "We will follow the science, the law, and common sense wherever it leads, and we will do so while advancing our commitment towards helping to deliver cleaner, healthier, and safer air, land, and water."

Beyond also announcing a new rewrite of the waters of the U.S. rule, EPA on Wednesday also detailed a range of regulatory moves:

-- Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). EPA also terminated a $20 billion greenhouse gas fund created under the Biden administration through money from the Inflation Reduction Act. Zeldin had called the funds "gold bars" and alleged potential fraud risk if the grants were allowed to continue. The Justice Department and FBI have since launched an investigation into the GGRF dollars.

-- EPA will revisit the greenhouse gas emission standards for both heavy-duty vehicles and light-duty vehicles. Called by critics an "electric vehicle mandate," EPA had finalized national emission standards for new heavy-duty trucks a year ago that the agency said at the time would be the strongest emission standards in history and avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The rule affected semi-trucks, delivery trucks, public utility trucks and buses. On Wednesday, Zeldin said revoking the rules for both heavy- and light-duty vehicles would save $700 billion in regulatory and compliance costs.

"The American auto industry has been hamstrung by the crushing regulatory regime of the last administration. As we reconsider nearly $1 trillion of regulatory costs, we will abide by the rule of law to protect consumer choice and the environment," Zeldin said.

-- Regulations on power plants rolled back. EPA is reconsidering the Clean Power Plan 2.0, stating the first effort was struck down by the Supreme Court. EPA also is reviewing how it handles its Regional Haze Program under the Clean Air Act. In another action for coal-fired power plants, EPA will reconsider mercury and air toxic standards (MATS) set by the Biden administration that were sued by 23 states. While EPA goes through the rule-making process, the agency will grant a two-year compliance exemption to power plants. EPA stated this rule would have cost the power sector $92 million per year on average.

"These costs are large, especially given the success the industry has already achieved in reducing emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants," EPA stated.

-- EPA will reconsider the mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The program required 8,000 of the largest facilities in the country to submit their emissions to EPA annually. EPA noted the reporting program is not directly tied to a potential regulation and costs businesses hundreds of millions of dollars.

"The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is another example of a bureaucratic government program that does not improve air quality," Zeldin said. "Instead, it costs American businesses and manufacturing millions of dollars, hurting small businesses and the ability to achieve the American Dream."

-- Tied to greenhouse gas reporting, EPA also will revisit the Biden administration's social cost of carbon, which the Trump administration sees as contributing to regulatory costs. The president's executive order on energy requires EPA to consider eliminating the social costs of carbon calculations for federal permitting decisions.

-- Particulate air rules. EPA will revisit the Biden administration's National Ambient Air Quality Standards following concerns from states about permitting challenges for major industries.

"All Americans deserve to breathe clean air while pursuing the American dream," Zeldin said. "Under President Trump, we will ensure air quality standards for particulate matter are protective of human health and the environment while we unleash the Golden Age of American prosperity."

-- Hazardous air pollutant standards. EPA will reconsider the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Pollutants, which affects an array of industries. While EPA is rewriting the rule, the agency will grant a two-year compliance exemption to companies.

-- Revise wastewater regulations for oil and gas. EPA will revise how wastewater from oil and natural gas extraction can be reused. Under current regulations, such wastewater can only be used for agricultural or wildlife water in Western states. EPA will expand the geographic scope and "consider expanding opportunities for using treated wastewater" for other uses, such as extracting critical minerals.

-- Environmental Justice terminated. EPA will reorganize to close the 10 regional Environmental Justice offices and remove any agency focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). All employees tied to DEI programs and Environmental Justice have been put on administrative leave. Zeldin said these programs amounted to "forced discrimination" that won't be tolerated in the Trump administration. EPA also will redirect its enforcement efforts to ensure energy production is not shut down while focusing on pressing health and safety issues, the agency stated.

"Some believe that so-called 'environmental justice' is warranted to assist communities that have been left behind," Zeldin said. "This idea sounds good in theory and receives bipartisan support. But in reality, 'environmental justice' has been used primarily as an excuse to fund left-wing activists instead of actually spending those dollars to directly remediate environmental issues for those communities."

Also see "EPA to Rewrite WOTUS Rule Again, Seeking to Follow Supreme Court Sackett Ruling" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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