The EPA’s new mission: business first, environment last

On Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin redefined the agency’s mission, stating that its focus is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home, and running a business.” Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of the environment or public health — the very foundations on which the EPA was established in 1970.

The new administration has already revised its legal framework for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, rolled back CO₂ and mercury limits on power plants, and reversed tailpipe regulations that were steering the US auto industry toward electric vehicles. Achieving Zeldin’s new vision means slashing environmental regulations, a move that earned Donald Trump praise on the campaign trail. These changes should make it cheaper and easier for businesses to build and expand.

While this may be good news for gas prices, it’s bad news for the environment and public health. The administration has called for the closure of all EPA offices addressing the disproportionately high levels of air and water pollution in poor communities, pollution that has been linked to higher rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses. These changes follow last year’s Supreme Court Chevron decision, which stripped the agency of much of its regulatory authority over industries.