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Rewritten Article:
The Trump administration initially repealed numerous public health regulations, but after losing re-election, the Biden administration reinstated many of them. However, the current government is not simply reversing these regulations but is completely dismantling them, making it challenging for future administrations to impose regulations on public health pollution. This move is deemed harmful by critics.
Despite claims from the EPA, there has been no response to inquiries regarding the scientific basis supporting the assertion that greenhouse gas emissions do not significantly contribute to harmful air pollution.
The Biden administration’s EPA has finalized carbon pollution standards, emphasizing that the benefits of these standards outweigh the compliance costs. A regulatory impact analysis projects a reduction of 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution by 2047, equivalent to the emissions of the entire U.S. power sector for nearly a year or the annual emissions of 328 million gasoline-powered vehicles.
Critics argue that the entire regulatory framework is based on a cost-benefit analysis, a concept seemingly overlooked by the Trump administration. In rolling back power plant regulations, the EPA under President Trump justified the move with projected cost savings of $310 billion by promoting coal and natural gas. However, independent studies reveal potential increases in utility costs and health-related expenses due to toxic air pollutants.
The deregulation efforts of the Trump administration have targeted the two primary sources of climate change emissions in the U.S., namely the electricity and transportation sectors. With the recent actions, the administration has effectively repealed significant climate change regulations, leaving environmental advocates concerned.
Source: Inside Climate News
Source: arstechnica.com
