By Lindsay Ex
Last week, 86 state and local officials called on the EPA to continue its sixteen year history of implementing the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and Vehicle Emission Rules that require more efficient and lower emission vehicles on the roads.
This finding is a foundational underpinning to the regulatory framework that guides how the EPA protects the nation’s residents and businesses from the impacts of climate change. In light of repeated attacks by the federal administration to undercut the significant advancements Colorado has made to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, this letter from elected officials representing 25 municipalities, 10 counties, and 15 state elected officials signals how important science-based policy is to growing Colorado’s clean energy economy and continuing to ensure our residents enjoy a healthy, safe, and prosperous quality of life.
“Communities across Colorado and the State rely on the federal government to use sound science to guide its decision making,” explained Emma Pinter, Adams County Commissioner. “Proposing to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding and the Vehicle Emission Rules slams in the face of decades of widely accepted research. If finalized this would be one of the most destructive attacks on federal climate and public protections in U.S. history.”
In August, the EPA proposed a new rule to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding and Vehicle Emission Rules. This scientific finding requires the federal government to limit greenhouse gas emissions, like methane and carbon dioxide, because they endanger human health and safety by contributing to climate change. The finding was based on widely accepted science on climate change and empowered the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases through regulations on industrial pollution, power plants, and vehicle emissions.
“Summit County’s position as a premier recreation destination depends on our natural resources, and these rollbacks will directly impact our community’s economic resilience,” said Nina Waters, Summit County Commissioner. “Climate change is driving more extreme weather, including wildfires, which threaten our people and our infrastructure. We need to strengthen our climate investments, not weaken them.”
Lindsay Ex is Policy Director at Colorado Communities for Climate Action.