Catholic Community Comments to

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

on Rule to Repeal the "Endangerment Finding"

& Deny Health Impacts of Climate Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the elimination the Endangerment Finding - which provides the scientific and legal foundation for EPA regulation of climate pollution - as well as the rolling back of greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks. This proposal would allow toxic pollution from vehicles, power plants, and other sources go unchecked, erode life-saving public health protections, and set the stage for irreversible harm to God's creation. The EPA is accepting public comments on its proposal to rescind the finding through September 22. We hope to submit over 5,000 comments to the EPA from Catholics across the country, reminding those in power that life is sacred and we must protect God's creation.  

This comment form will remain open through: Monday, September 1, 2025.

Dear Administrator Zeldin, 

As a Christian mandated by my faith to defend the sanctity of human life, care for God’s creation, and stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable, I am writing to urge you to reconsider the proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to repeal the Endangerment Finding and dismantle greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks. 

The science is unequivocal: climate change is real and has adverse effects on human health. As the late Pope Francis stated, climate change is “one of the principal challenges facing humanity today.”¹ The United States has a moral – and, according to the International Court of Justice, a legal ² – obligation to confront the reality of climate change, reduce death-dealing emissions, and protect vulnerable communities from the harmful impacts of climate change. This proposal from the EPA is a complete abdication of our moral and legal obligation, and is a callous attempt to turn away from both the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

A key tenet within Catholic teaching is to uphold the preferential option for the poor, which instructs us to always prioritize the needs of the poor and vulnerable in our actions and decision-making. It is the poor and vulnerable who would be harmed the most by an abandonment of federal regulations of greenhouse gas emissions: the unborn children at risk of preterm birth and developmental delays, the elementary students missing school because of asthma symptoms, the grandparents developing lung or heart disease, the day-laborers suffering in extreme heat, and the Black and Brown communities who disproportionately bear these burdens due to redlining and systemic racism. These are the communities that the EPA will be abandoning through this rule. 

I urge you to do what is right and just – do not repeal the Endangerment Finding and do not strip away the life-saving greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks. Let us work towards a future where all people, all generations, and all of God’s creation can truly flourish. 

Sincerely, 

[your name]