Governor Gavin Newsom Vows Lawsuit Over Trump Administration’s EPA Repeal of Endangerment Finding

Governor Gavin Newsom said California will sue to challenge the Trump administration’s repeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, calling the move unlawful, anti-science, and a threat to public health and safety.

On February 12, 2026, President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the repeal of the Obama-era finding, saying the action would eliminate costly vehicle emissions rules and save taxpayers an estimated $1.3 trillion.

Saving Americans TRILLIONS!

President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announce the end of the Obama-era Endangerment Finding, ending costly and useless vehicle emission rules, eliminating the stop-start button, and saving taxpayers $1.3 trillion. pic.twitter.com/imnP3dJeEQ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2026

Newsom said California will challenge the repeal in court, describing the decision as reckless and illegal and arguing that the administration is abandoning its legal duty to protect Americans from harmful air pollution.

He added that California will not stand still as federal climate protections are dismantled. In September 2025, Newsom submitted a formal comment opposing the EPA’s proposed rollback.

California joined 24 other states, representing 55% of the U.S. population, in opposing the agency’s move to proceed with the repeal.

Newsom said the move puts politics and corporate interests above public safety, warning it could worsen wildfires and extreme heat. He pledged California will challenge the action in court and continue leading on climate.

STATEMENT FROM @CAGovernor GAVIN NEWSOM:

“This decision betrays the American people and cements the Republican Party’s status as the pro-pollution party. If this reckless decision survives legal challenges, it will lead to more deadly wildfires, more extreme heat deaths, more… https://t.co/EnTT9TUSBT

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) February 12, 2026

Newsom called the appeal by the Trump administration “Make Pollution Great Again”, in a X post.

Zeldin characterized the decision as the “largest act of deregulation in American history.”

In the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, President Trump and I are now announcing the repeal of the 2009 Obama EPA Endangerment Finding, ALL vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards that followed, and ALL off-cycle credits that include the much-despised…

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) February 12, 2026

The EPA first proposed reversing the finding in July 2025. With the repeal now finalized, the agency is dismantling long-standing vehicle emissions standards tied to the finding.

For years, the act has underpinned every major federal effort to control greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

The repeal has drawn opposition from environmental groups and several Democratic leaders, who argue it strips away the legal backbone of U.S. climate policy and reflects a broader move toward loosening oversight of high-emitting industries.

Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change — all so the fossil fuel industry can…

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 12, 2026

In his statement, the governor argued that weakening climate protections will carry serious consequences. In the state alone, wildfires intensify by rising temperatures and have killed hundreds of people, destroyed entire communities, damaged tens of thousands of homes, and caused tens of billions of dollars in losses.

Extreme heat has become the deadliest climate-related hazard. Nationally, the U.S. recorded 28 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023, resulting in more than 400 deaths and $92 billion in damage.

Yana Garcia, California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary, said the federal action ignores visible climate impacts that are affecting homes, jobs, and public health. 

Scientific fact: heat-trapping gasses lead to smog, higher asthma rates & more ER visits. Today’s decision is further evidence that Trump’s EPA could care less about protecting Americans. Despite the turmoil in D.C., CA will keep pushing climate action forward with steady hands. https://t.co/aAPmkVqDpL

— Secretary Yana Garcia (@CalEPASecretary) February 12, 2026

California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez called the proposal a disregard for established science and warned of long-term risks. 

Dr Erica Pan, the state’s public health officer, highlighted links between air pollution and heart and lung disease, as well as growing mental health challenges among children exposed to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and displacement.

On December 7, 2009, the EPA issued its Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. It determined that six major greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare and that vehicle emissions add to the problem. 

Although the finding did not create direct mandates, it cleared the way for federal emissions standards. In 2007, the Supreme Court confirmed EPA’s authority to regulate such pollutants.

California says it will press ahead with its climate plans despite federal changes. Since 2000, greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 21% even as the state’s GDP expanded by 81%, making California the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Clean energy supplied two-thirds of electricity in 2023, with battery storage soaring to nearly 17,000 megawatts. Officials say the legal battle carries major public health and economic stakes.