Rep. Pingree condemns federal plan to revoke scientific findings on climate change

PORTLAND (WGME) — A scientific finding that serves as the legal basis for much of the government’s actions to fight climate change might be repealed.

This comes after the Environmental Protection Agency and the Trump Administration announced a decision Tuesday to revoke those findings.

The EPA has proposed to revoke the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which determined greenhouse gases are a threat to public health.

The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Massachusetts v. EPA case states greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

This case led to the EPA’s 2009 ruling that outlines carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases as threats to public health by contributing to extreme heat, storms, wildfires and even diseases.

The Trump administration argues the endangerment finding is a “flawed and an unorthodox way and didn’t stick to the Clean Air Act.”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says this decision will hurt the federal government’s ability to fight climate change now and in the future.

“Frankly, what it does is it unravels the scientific underpinning of climate change,” Pingree said. “It basically says that the administration no longer has a scientific reason to regulate greenhouse gases like methane or carbon dioxide.”

The EPA’s decision must go through a review process before it’s finalized and will likely face legal challenges.