EPA Administrator Guts the Agency; Calls to Eliminate 31 Essential Rules
Deep harm to public lands, waters, wildlife and communities will result
SANTA FE – On March 12, Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced he was gutting 31 EPA rules. In doing so, he reframed the purpose of the EPA saying the agency’s mission is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business.” There was no mention of environmental protection in the Environmental Protection Agency’s new mission.
His statement means the agency would overturn limits on soot from smokestacks that has been linked to respiratory problems and premature deaths, eliminate enforcement efforts that prioritize the protection of low-income and minority communities, lift restrictions on emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin, and eliminate the “good neighbor rule” that requires
states to deal with their own pollution when it crosses into neighboring states.
In the future, the agency will no longer consider the costs to society from wildfires, droughts, storms and other disasters that might be made worse by pollution connected to new policies. This is in line with perhaps the most far-reaching change at the agency. The EPA will seek to revoke the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which concluded that rising greenhouse gas emissions are a danger to public health. The finding gives the agency the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Eliminating it would make it virtually impossible for the EPA to curb climate pollution from automobiles, factories, power plants or oil and gas wells.
“Make no mistake – this is not about jobs, regulations, or helping everyday Americans,” said Conservation Voters New Mexico CEO, Demis Foster. “Zeldin’s announcement is about putting the needs of extractive industry and the wealthy elite above the health and welfare of everyday Americans. As the second largest oil and gas producing state in the nation, New Mexicans know all-too-well the importance of protecting our air, land, and water from toxic pollution. Our communities are also on the frontlines of the climate crisis and hungry for the clean energy transition. We deserve better. Our state
leaders must now do all they can to protect our communities and future generations from the devastating impacts of the Trump administration.”
In 2024, renewable energy – solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass – accounted for more than 90% of total added US electrical generating capacity; that number was expected to increase to 93% in 2025. Renewable energy projects – solar plus storage and wind – come online in 12-18 months; gas-fired facilities take two to four times as long to come online. In
New Mexico, 50% of oil and gas companies were meeting or on track to meet the new stringent methane & ozone rules even as they had record production and profits.
The annual polling from Colorado College, the State of the Rockies report, shows overwhelming, and necessarily bipartisan, public support for every policy the Trump administration wants to eliminate:
- 77% support the government taking action to reduce carbon pollution that contributes to climate change
- 87% prefer decisions about public lands, water, and wildlife be made by career professionals such as rangers, scientists, and firefighters rather than new appointed officials who come from other industries
- 89% believe that existing national monument designations from the last decade should be kept in place
- 70% prefer that leaders place more emphasis on protecting water, air, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities over maximizing the amount of land available for drilling and mining
“Instead of honoring the bedrock values of the American people that includes having clean water to drink and clean air to breathe, Trump’s EPA is abandoning the health and safety of our families. Combine this announcement with Zeldin’s pledge to cut 65% of EPA’s budget and staff, along with Elon Musk’s cruel and disingenuous DOGE efforts to decimate our federal agencies and workforce, and we’re left with few protections for air, land, and precious water. We know New Mexicans want our environment and health protected, and we urge all leaders to hear their plea.” said CVNM Chief Operating Officer, Molly Taylor. ”
# # #
CVNM is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization connecting the people of New Mexico to their political power to protect our air, land, water, wildlife and communities for a healthy Land of Enchantment. CVNM does this by mobilizing voters, winning elections, holding elected officials accountable and advancing responsible public policies.