Arizona officials may sue EPA over its rollback of greenhouse gas regulations: Report

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Environmental advocates warn that the Trump administration’s decision to halt regulation of greenhouse gas emissions could severely harm the US state of Arizona, a state already experiencing increasingly extreme heatwaves, local media reported on Monday.

While it remains uncertain how Arizona will respond, at least one elected official has not ruled out suing the federal government.

On Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding had been terminated, according to Tucson Sentinel website.

The finding originated from a 2007 US Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases that endanger public health.

It has long served as the legal basis for emissions standards governing cars, airplanes, power plants, and other major sources of pollution.

US President Donald Trump’s move to scrap the finding aligns with his broader agenda to roll back climate regulations affecting the auto and fossil fuel industries.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump told fossil fuel executives he would eliminate environmental rules to increase their profits if they helped raise $1 billion for his presidential campaign.

Legal challenges are widely expected once the repeal is finalized, and Arizona could be among the states that file suit.

At a Friday morning press conference criticizing the EPA’s decision, Kirsten Engel, head of the environmental protection unit in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, said pursuing legal action is one of several options being weighed.

She said Attorney General Kris Mayes considers eliminating the endangerment finding both unlawful and contrary to the EPA’s mission to protect public health.

“The attorney general opposes it and considers that every option that her office has is on the table in response,” she said.

The repeal of what had been a cornerstone of federal climate regulations has unsettled environmental advocates. Pita Juarez, Arizona field organizer for Moms Clean Air Force, which has 1.6 million members nationwide, including 28,000 in Arizona, called the decision reckless and cautioned that it would carry serious consequences.

“Our children and future generations will pay the price for this unprecedented attack on public health protections,” she said.

Juarez emphasized that Arizona is likely to be among the states most affected if greenhouse gas regulations are further weakened.

Despite Trump’s assertions that climate change is a hoax, decades of scientific research have concluded that greenhouse gas emissions are raising global temperatures and will continue to do so without major reductions.

The past four years have been the hottest ever recorded in the US, with Arizona particularly impacted.

In Phoenix, summer 2025 brought 113 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures. Statewide, extreme heat contributed to or caused as many as 427 deaths last year.

Rep. Mariana Sandoval, whose district includes rural and agricultural communities, said farmworkers and other outdoor laborers cannot afford for the federal government to step back from addressing climate change.

She warned that placing workers who spend most of their time outdoors, including those harvesting crops, at greater risk would have wide-ranging consequences.

“Rescinding the endangerment clause is like taking all the road signs and the highway patrol off of the interstate,” Sandoval said.

“It puts everyone at risk.”

Sandoval, who has consistently advocated for stronger state-level heat mitigation policies with limited success in the Republican-controlled Legislature, said she is uncertain how Arizona can step in if federal protections are withdrawn.

With the legislative session nearly over, introducing new proposals is unlikely this year, but she plans to meet with the governor’s and attorney general’s offices to discuss possible strategies.

Last month, the state’s Workplace Heat Safety Task Force, established by Gov. Katie Hobbs, released recommendations aimed at improving worker protections as temperatures rise.

The proposals urge employers to provide water, shade, and rest breaks during periods of extreme heat.

However, critics and workers argue that the guidelines lack enforcement measures.

Sandoval agreed that worker protections need stronger enforcement to ensure compliance.

An advisory committee to the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to take a final vote on the proposed rules on March 3.