US states and cities sue over Trump EPA’s repeal of emissions rules

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Published: 2026-10-01T22:46:40.782Z • Permanent link

A coalition of 22 Democratic-led states and cities sued the Trump administration on Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming emissions, citing irreparable harm to the environment and public health. The Trump EPA's repeal of the Clean Power Plan, a key regulation aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, has been met with fierce resistance from environmental groups and state governments. The plan, implemented in 2015, was a major milestone in the Obama administration's efforts to address climate change, and its repeal has been widely condemned by lawmakers and advocacy groups. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, accuses the EPA of violating the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act by failing to regulate emissions from power plants. The Trump administration's move has been seen as a major victory for the fossil fuel industry, which had long argued that the Clean Power Plan would unfairly burden states and hinder economic growth.

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of states, including California, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington, as well as several major cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The coalition argues that the EPA's repeal of the Clean Power Plan will lead to increased air pollution, higher healthcare costs, and devastating impacts on vulnerable communities. The lawsuit also names several major corporations, including ExxonMobil, BP, and Duke Energy, as defendants, alleging that they had knowingly misled the public about the risks of climate change and the effectiveness of the Clean Power Plan. The EPA's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan was widely seen as a major retreat for the Trump administration's environmental agenda, and has sparked widespread outrage among environmental groups and lawmakers.

The Trump EPA's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan has also been criticized by several Republican lawmakers, who have expressed concerns about the impact on the economy and public health. However, the administration's move has been largely supported by the fossil fuel industry, which has argued that the Clean Power Plan was an overreach of federal authority and would have led to significant economic losses. The lawsuit filed by the coalition of states and cities is just one of several challenges to the EPA's decision, and is likely to be closely watched by policymakers and environmental groups in the months ahead.

The repeal of the Clean Power Plan has significant implications for the research community, with many experts warning that the move will hinder efforts to understand and address climate change. The Clean Power Plan was a major research initiative, providing funding and resources for scientists to study the impacts of climate change on power plants and the environment. Without the Clean Power Plan, many researchers will be forced to seek alternative funding sources, which could lead to a decline in research funding and a loss of critical expertise in the field. The repeal of the Clean Power Plan also has significant implications for the markets, with many investors expressing concern about the potential impacts on the energy sector and the broader economy.

The repeal of the Clean Power Plan has also significant implications for the policy environment, with many lawmakers and advocacy groups warning that the move will embolden the fossil fuel industry and undermine efforts to address climate change. The Clean Power Plan was a key part of the Obama administration's climate agenda, and its repeal has been seen as a major setback for climate policy in the United States. The lawsuit filed by the coalition of states and cities is likely to be closely watched by policymakers and environmental groups in the months ahead, and could potentially lead to significant changes in the policy environment.

The repeal of the Clean Power Plan is part of a larger pattern of retreats by the Trump administration on environmental issues, including the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the rollbacks of several key regulations aimed at reducing air pollution and promoting clean energy. The Trump administration's approach to environmental policy has been widely criticized by lawmakers and advocacy groups, who argue that it prioritizes the interests of the fossil fuel industry over those of public health and the environment. The repeal of the Clean Power Plan is also part of a broader debate about the role of government in addressing climate change, with many policymakers and researchers arguing that a more active role for government is necessary to address the crisis.