Merkley, Dexter, Oregon Delegation Sound the Alarm Over EPA’s Proposal to Declassify Greenhouse Gases as Public Health Threat

Merkley, Dexter, Oregon Delegation Sound the Alarm Over EPA's Proposal to Declassify Greenhouse Gases as Public Health Threat

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (OR-03) led a letter with their Oregon delegation colleagues-U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)-in raising the alarm over the threat of the Trump Administration's proposal to eliminate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding that greenhouse gases are harmful and a contributor to climate chaos.

"Your proposal relies on a Department of Energy (DOE) report written by professional climate skeptics with established ties to the fossil fuel industry," the Oregon delegation wrote to EPA Administrator Zeldin. "That DOE report is out of step with the scientific consensus and with what Oregonians experience every year. The consequences of disregarding science are already on full display in Oregon."

In the 2007 Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. EPA, the Court found that the EPA possesses authority to regulate harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In 2009, the EPA formally recognized that current and future greenhouse gas pollution is a threat to public health, our planet, and future-also known as the 'Endangerment Finding.'

"Oregon regularly faces the destructive impacts of climate chaos-on our people, our natural resources, and our state economy. On average, the state spends an additional $18 million every five years addressing wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather events," the delegation continued. "Between 2013 and 2021, wildfire-related emergency road maintenance costs alone totaled $58.6 million for the state's transportation department."

Previously, Merkley, Dexter, and other members of the Oregon delegation have slammed the EPA's rollback of the 'Endangerment Finding.'

The delegation concluded in their letter, "Climate chaos has already had calamitous effects on our planet and public health and will continue to worsen without dedicated action. We urge you to maintain the Endangerment Finding and protect the health and welfare of Oregonians and communities in all parts of the country."

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking HERE and below:

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

We write to express our opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal to eliminate the Endangerment Finding, the critical 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health and welfare, and to share the severe consequences this action will have on Oregon and the health and safety of our constituents. Countless Oregonians are already experiencing the impacts of climate chaos, from extreme heat and drought to earlier and more frequent wildfires. We urge you to reconsider this proposal and to uphold EPA's duty to protect public health and the environment.

By attacking the Endangerment Finding, the administration aims to undermine other protections against climate pollution: clean car and truck standards, power plant rules, aircraft regulations, and more. For years, these protections have been central to safeguarding the health and welfare of our constituents. Weakening them would expose communities to more harmful emissions, greater health risks, and higher costs for families.

Your proposal relies on a Department of Energy (DOE) report written by professional climate skeptics with established ties to the fossil fuel industry. That DOE report is out of step with the scientific consensus and with what Oregonians experience every year. The consequences of disregarding science are already on full display in Oregon.

Oregon regularly faces the destructive impacts of climate chaos-on our people, our natural resources, and our state economy. On average, the state spends an additional $18 million every five years addressing wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather events. Between 2013 and 2021, wildfire- related emergency road maintenance costs alone totaled $58.6 million for the state's transportation department.

During wildfire season, smoke-filled skies force our constituents indoors. Entire towns have been destroyed, and thousands have been forced to evacuate as fires arrive earlier, more frequently, and with catastrophic intensity. These horrific wildfires take a toll on our communities and the economy: including both short-term and long-term costs. Some estimates indicate that Oregon's 2018 fire season generated $6.8 billion in costs, which translates to $3,900 per household. This past Labor Day marked the five-year anniversary of our state's devastating 2020 Labor Day fires, which took 11 lives and destroyed more than 4,000 homes. It is unacceptable to allow tragedies like this to continue.

Heat waves are a leading cause of weather-related deaths, and the number of dangerously hot days continues to rise across the nation. In Oregon, the 2021 heat dome caused more than 100 confirmed deaths statewide, with fatalities concentrated among older adults, people living alone, and households without air conditioning. The total economic costs to Oregonians from heat-related deaths during the 2021 heatwave total between $1.3 billion and $4.6 billion. In the last five years, Oregon has recorded some of its hottest years in state history, and climate models project that the severity of heat waves will continue to worsen across our state.

Oregon's coastal communities are also regularly confronted with the devastating impacts of climate chaos. Tillamook County, for example, is one of the most disaster-prone counties in the State of Oregon and experiences many intense coastal storms every year. The county is still completing work on roads and bridges that were damaged and destroyed in a 2015 storm and faces increasingly dangerous and costly extreme weather events. At the same time, warming sea temperatures and microplastics in the ocean impact the livelihood of Oregon's fishing communities and our ocean ecosystems that we all rely on.

Climate chaos has already had calamitous effects on our planet and public health and will continue to worsen without dedicated action. We urge you to maintain the Endangerment Finding and protect the health and welfare of Oregonians and communities in all parts of the country.