| Houston, Texas – Harris County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revoke the endangerment finding on greenhouse gases: “For 17 years, the EPA’s endangerment finding has reflected a clear scientific consensus that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane endanger public health and welfare. That science has not changed. Harris County has consistently stood up for science-based environmental protections because we know what is at stake. Last year, we intervened in federal court to defend stronger air quality standards that the EPA estimated could prevent thousands of premature deaths nationwide. These protections are not theoretical, they are about reducing health issues like asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, and other serious health impacts, particularly for vulnerable communities. Residents here in Harris County have endured increasingly severe storms, catastrophic flooding, and extreme heat. Rolling back the federal government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions disregards both established science and the real-world consequences from climate change that our community continues to face. Federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have long recognized that greenhouse gases are air pollutants subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act. Revoking this finding attempts to dismantle that foundation. My office will closely review this action. I'm committed to working with our partners to defend science-based environmental protections and will evaluate appropriate legal avenues to protect the health, safety, and economic well-being of Harris County residents. Ignoring science does not eliminate risk. It puts all of our futures at risk.” |