On January 29, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14154 commonly titled “Unleashing America’s Energy”. In general, this order directed EPA and other agencies to repeal, relax and postpone regulations on the fossil fuel industries including fossil-fuel reliant companies such as electricity generators and motor vehicle manufacturers. EPA began implementing this order through numerous initiatives under Administrator Zeldin’s proclamation titled Power the Great America Comeback. In general, actions taken pursuant to this initiative aim to prioritize the economic benefits of fossil fuel producers and users, while downplaying or overlooking broader impacts on public health and the environment.
The Reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards (Proposed Rule) would specifically “…repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines to effectuate the best reading of the Clean Air Act (CAA) section 202(a).” More broadly the Proposed Rule would “…rescind EPA’s prior 2009 findings that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and engines contribute to air pollution which may endanger public health or welfare.”
The Proposed Rule will impact Tribes in many ways. Some examples include overwhelming evidence that GHG emissions are affecting Tribal communities and will continue to do so in the form of increasing temperatures, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, diminished food supplies, and degraded natural systems. The Proposed Rule will rescind limits on these emissions. Comments are accepted via https://www.regulations.gov/ or by email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov, Attn. Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR- EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194
Comments are due on September 22, 2025.
- NTAA Tribal Template Letter – A template word document that includes NTAA’s comments that can be used by Tribes to submit to the EPA.
- NTAA Fact Sheet – A fact sheet that can be used by Tribes to inform community members and leadership regarding this proposal.
- NTAA Comment Letter – The official letter NTAA submitted to the EPA in response to the proposal.