How Trump’s big climate finding repeal could actually hurt big oil

Without federal climate regulation, fossil fuel industry may be more vulnerable to local lawsuits

The Trump administration's repeal of a foundational climate determination could clear a path for new litigation and policies targeting big oil, legal experts say.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule revoking the endangerment finding", a 2009 determination that established that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. The move eliminated federal limits on climate-warming emissions from motor vehicles, and is expected to extend to all other pollution sources.