How the EPA's Climate Policy Changes Heighten Risks for Black Folks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to revoke its legal authority to oversee greenhouse gas emissions, a potential move that could dismantle climate safeguards established for over ten years. The EPA aims to eliminate its 2009 “endangerment finding,” which identified greenhouse gases as a public health threat, enabling the agency to regulate emissions from vehicles, power plants, and various industries via the Clean Air Act.Environmental advocates caution that this repeal could disproportionately impact Black communities, often located near pollution sources like highways and factories, leading to health risks such as asthma and heart disease. A 2021 report highlighted that Black Americans face a 1.5 times higher likelihood of residing in areas projected to experience severe pollution increases due to climate change.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described this decision as the “largest deregulatory action in U.S. history” while critics labeled it both perilous and legally questionable, undermining extensive climate research. The agency's stance also contradicts findings from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.