According to Public Justice, eighteen young people from across the country are stepping forward to challenge a rollback of federal climate protections. They are represented by Public Justice and Our Children’s Trust.
In Venner v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (No. 26-1038), the youth petitioners have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reverse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding and eliminate all greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and trucks.
The petitioners argue the EPA’s actions violate their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and religious freedom.
In 2009, the EPA issued the Endangerment Finding, formally determining that greenhouse gas pollution threatens public health and welfare. That determination has served as the legal foundation for federal greenhouse gas emission standards, including those governing cars and trucks.
Transportation-sector emissions are the largest driver of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States. According to the petitioners, eliminating these standards will unleash additional pollution that:
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Worsens respiratory illness
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Increases exposure to extreme heat and wildfire smoke
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Threatens long-term health and life expectancy
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Disrupts cultural, spiritual, and religious practices
The youth petitioners contend that rescinding the Endangerment Finding, and simultaneously dismantling vehicle emissions standards, undermines decades of established climate science and abandons the EPA’s core responsibility: protecting Americans from harmful pollution.
The 18 petitioners, ranging in age from 1 to 22, come from Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawai‘i, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin. They include students, Tribal and Native youth, and young people from rural and coastal communities.
Some experience respiratory conditions aggravated by increased pollution. Others face routine exposure to diesel emissions during their school commutes. Many describe how climate-driven extreme weather and environmental degradation interfere with their spiritual practices, cultural traditions, and sense of security in their homes and communities.
Dan Snyder, Director of Public Justice’s Environmental Enforcement Project, emphasized that the Endangerment Finding rests on decades of settled science. According to Public Justice, the agency cannot simply discard that scientific foundation without violating both statutory and constitutional principles.
Julia Olson, Chief Legal Counsel at Our Children’s Trust and lead attorney for the petitioners, underscored that the EPA’s duty to regulate greenhouse gases is established law. The petitioners argue that reversing the Finding amounts to a deliberate abandonment of that duty.
This case is part of a broader wave of litigation challenging the EPA’s rollback. The outcome will shape not only future vehicle emission standards, but also the scope of federal authority to address greenhouse gas pollution.
Click here to learn more about the case. If you would like to financially support Public Justice and help them continue their important work, visit their website, publicjustice.net.
