Historic Deregulation: EPA Pulls Back Obama-Biden Era Rules

The Trump administration announced a series of regulatory rollbacks, reversing Biden-era emissions and waterway protections. Led by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, these changes target power plants, automobiles, and industry standards. Environmental groups vow legal action, while industry supporters applaud the deregulation move to boost American energy production.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday a significant wave of regulatory rollbacks, which includes repealing Biden-era emissions limits on power plants and automobiles, along with reducing protections for waterways. The announcements align with President Trump's commitments to cut through regulations benefiting industries from coal to manufacturing, alongside increasing oil and minerals production. However, these moves are poised to weaken crucial environmental rules that previous administrations imposed to safeguard air and water quality and combat climate change.

In a video message on platform X, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin declared it "the most consequential day of deregulation in American history," as his agency released over 30 deregulatory measures in rapid succession. Zeldin began the day by narrowing the definition of waterways protected under the Clean Water Act, a decision that could relax runoff pollution limits from sectors like agriculture and petrochemicals. The agency also announced plans to rewrite the Biden-era clean power plant rules aimed at reducing carbon emissions, and roll back vehicle greenhouse-gas emission standards for 2027 model year vehicles and later.

The regulatory changes targeting power and transport, significant contributors to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, directly counter former President Joe Biden's initiatives to tackle climate change. While Obama's former EPA head, Gina McCarthy, decried the steps as disastrous, environmentalists pledged to fight these regulatory rollbacks in court. Conversely, industry representatives, like those from the American Petroleum Institute, welcome the changes, interpreting them as aligning with voter demands for reliable energy solutions.

(With inputs from agencies.)