The Endangerment Finding, established by the EPA in 2009 determined that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions “endanger human health and welfare.” This finding is the legal and scientific foundation that allows the agency to regulate GHG emissions. The Trump administration is proposing to repeal The Endangerment Finding, undermining decades of scientific consensus and stripping the EPA of its authority to protect the public from climate pollution.
In response, Utah Clean Energy and countless others submitted detailed comments to the EPA in defense of the finding. As a Utah-based organization rooted in the desert Southwest, we are uniquely positioned to speak to the urgent need for climate action. Our comments emphasized the following key points:
- Climate Impacts: Utah is already experiencing the effects of climate change including extended drought, extreme heat, reduced snowpack and water supply, wildfires, and toxic dust storms. Each of these are a danger to public health for all Utahns.
- Support for GHG Reductions from Vehicles: The Endangerment Finding provides a critical pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. This is vital in order to cut harmful air pollutants and mitigate the broader impacts of climate change.
- Scientific Evidence and Local Concerns: The overwhelming scientific consensus supports urgent action on climate change. Just one example we cited includes the shrinking Great Salt Lake which exemplifies the local health consequences of climate change, with exposed lakebed dust posing serious health risks.
Background on the Endangerment Finding
Climate change is a direct threat to human health. Repealing the Endangerment Finding would mean ignoring the well-documented dangers of carbon dioxide, methane, and other GHG emissions. These pollutants directly threaten human health through:
- Higher GHG emissions
- Worse air quality (summertime ozone, wintertime particulates, and windblown dust)
- Temperature increases and associated drought, water scarcity, and wildfires
- Increasing wildfire smoke
- Increased healthcare costs due to health impacts of poor air quality and extreme heat
The Endangerment Finding codifies this relationship and enables EPA to regulate emissions and therefore protect against harms of climate change. Cleaner cars, power plants that pollute less, and regulations around industrial facilities lead to better health and well-being for all Utahns.
Resources:
- Link to the current Endangerment Finding: https://www.epa.gov/climate-change/endangerment-and-cause-or-contribute-findings-greenhouse-gases-under-section-202a
- Link to the docket for the reconsideration of the Endangerment Finding: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194
- NRDC Endangerment Finding Reconsideration Fact Sheet: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/epa-endangerment-finding-fs.pdf
- Article from Climate Scientists that gives some relevant background and context. Please note that this was published prior to EPA’s filing. What Is Endangered Now? Climate Science at the Crossroads, Saleska, et. al. AGU Advances, 19 June 2025 https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV001808
- Deseret News Op-ed: https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/09/06/utah-children-need-clean-air-epa-endangerment-finding/
We would like to clarify that Utah Clean Energy is not a solar company. We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for solar and other clean energy technologies, but we do not install or sell solar in any way.