Alderman Burgelis urges EPA to keep greenhouse gas pollution enforcement

Alderman Peter Burgelis today sent the attached letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging the agency to keep the key 2009 legal finding that allows it to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA Endangerment Finding, issued in 2009, concluded that greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare, establishing the legal basis for the EPA to regulate these gases under the Clean Air Act (CAA). This finding serves as the foundation for regulations on emissions from motor vehicles and other sources. In 2025, the EPA initiated a process to reconsider and potentially rescind this finding, which has faced legal challenges but was upheld by the courts.

The EPA has opened up a comment period on rescinding the finding, and the attached letter from Alderman Burgelis will be included (for the record) in the comments received.

In the letter, Alderman Burgelis writes: “We support EPA’s mission to protect human health and environment. Developing and enforcing regulations is a necessary policy tool to achieve your mission. The 2009 Endangerment Finding is well established in science and Supreme Court precedent. We support its continuation so that EPA can continue to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and hold the worst polluters accountable for better performance.

EPA has a responsibility under the Clean Air Act to address the most pressing air quality issues, including the air quality and environmental threats caused by greenhouse gas emissions. We look forward to this administration not only preserving the Endangerment Finding, but also publicly re-affirming the risks of climate change and your commitment to protecting our communities from polluters.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.