Trump administration's rollback threatens environment and public health

In Washington, former Environmental Protection Agency leaders have voiced serious concerns regarding regulatory rollbacks proposed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. These proposed changes include dismantling 31 significant environmental rules that safeguard air and water quality, as well as regulations related to climate change. These actions were initiated on March 13, 2025, and are characterized by the former agency heads as a catastrophe that undermines decades of progress in environmental protection. They assert that these rollbacks could harm millions of Americans' health and abandon the mission of the agency established to protect the environment. William K. Reilly, Christine Todd Whitman, and Gina McCarthy, all former heads of the EPA, have strongly criticized the direction taken under Trump's leadership. Reilly, who served under President George H.W. Bush, emphasized that the proposed rollbacks represent a dangerous abandonment of the agency's original purpose. Whitman, who led the agency under President George W. Bush, expressed concern regarding the potential impact on future generations, stating that all individuals deserve clean air and water. The rollbacks signal a shift towards prioritizing the interests of the fossil fuel industry, according to McCarthy, who led the agency under President Barack Obama. She argued that this shift not only threatens public health but also risks significant economic repercussions. The EPA's planned reconsideration of a 2009 scientific finding that classified greenhouse gases as endangering public health could undermine crucial climate change initiatives. The proposed rollbacks were met with strong backlash from environmentalists and health experts, who noted that reversing regulations could lead to increased pollution. The changes are positioned as economic reforms that may lower costs for families by lessening regulatory burdens. However, critics argue that the long-term consequences — including severe harm to the environment and public health — far outweigh the short-term economic benefits presented by Zeldin and the Trump administration. The former EPA leaders are calling for an immediate halt to these regulatory changes to protect both Americans and the environment from further harm.