Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is leading a coalition of 38 states, territories, cities, and counties in a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The coalition filed the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. They’re challenging the Trump administration’s decision to repeal a key climate rule known as the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
The Endangerment Finding was based on scientific research showing that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles harm public health and welfare. It came from a 2007 Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed that the Clean Air Act allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Courts had repeatedly upheld the 2009 finding, including a D.C. appeals court ruling in 2023.
In early 2026, the Trump administration’s EPA finalized the repeal of that finding. The move eliminates all federal greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks. It also clears the way for rollbacks on power plants, oil and gas facilities. The EPA argued it doesn’t have authority under the Clean Air Act to set standards addressing global climate change.
The coalition disagrees. It argues the repeal relies on flawed legal interpretations already rejected by the Supreme Court. They say it ignores decades of peer-reviewed climate science and violates the EPA’s legal duties. They also say it puts public health at risk, especially for communities already dealing with pollution burdens.
An additional 24 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also joined the effort. The coalition had previously submitted comment letters in fall 2025 urging the EPA to drop the proposal. Public health and environmental groups, including Earthjustice, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center, filed a separate lawsuit on February 18, 2026.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the EPA had abandoned its mission to protect public health. Ellison said the repeal disregards both law and science. According to Minnesota officials, the state has seen billion-dollar climate disasters spike to an average of 4.6 per year over the last five years, compared to roughly 1.4 annually over the previous four decades. The EPA cited a 2022 Supreme Court ruling limiting how the Clean Air Act can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants as part of its justification for the repeal. Critics warn that rolling back the Endangerment Finding could weaken protections against air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, potentially increasing public health risks. Globally, air pollution from fossil fuels is linked to approximately 4.5 million deaths annually, according to health organizations. Legal experts suggest the litigation will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
References
- https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-epa-lawsuit-greenhouse-gas-endangerment-finding/
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/03/19_GreenhouseGases.asp
- https://www.climateinthecourts.com/dozens-of-us-states-and-municipalities-sue-epa-over-its-elimination-of-ghg-endangerment-finding/
- https://www.bakerdonelson.com/epas-endangerment-finding-repealed-the-coming-legal-battle-and-what-it-means-for-state-climate-regulation
- https://www.edf.org/media/epa-sued-over-illegal-repeal-climate-protections
- https://elpc.org/blog/endangerment-finding-court/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvtTGrusuIw
- https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/environmental-groups-sue-epa-for-illegal-repeal-of-climate-protections
