In a virtual public hearing before an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) panel, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger voiced strong opposition to a proposal by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who seeks to repeal the agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding. This policy underpins federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking at a virtual EPA public hearing, Metzger argued that the move would contradict the agency’s mission to protect public health and the environment, as the finding is based on broad scientific consensus linking emissions from fossil fuels to climate change.
Metzger claimed the direct impacts of a climate shift are already affecting Ulster County, including more frequent wildfires, extreme heat, and severe flooding. She cited specific events such as large-scale wildfires in the Catskills and Minnewaska State Park, as well as recurring flood damage that has earned the county one of the highest rates of federal disaster declarations in New York. She also noted worsening air quality from Canadian wildfires, which has posed health risks and harmed the region’s tourism industry.
In her comments, Metzger bemoaned reductions in federal funding for flood mitigation, warning that such cuts leave local communities more vulnerable to climate-related disasters. She urged the EPA to uphold the Endangerment Finding, warning that repealing it would represent reckless regression in the effort to address the changing climate.
Supporters of Zeldin argue that the move toward deregulation could lower energy and transportation costs and restore legal clarity by limiting the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases without direct congressional approval.
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