New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Mar. 19 that she is co-leading a coalition of 39 other states, counties, and cities in filing a petition to challenge the Trump administration’s repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 endangerment finding. The petition was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The action comes as communities across the country face increasing climate-related disasters. James said, “Across our country, communities are already suffering from climate disasters. From freak storms to devastating floods to deadly cold snaps and unbearable heat waves, the climate crisis is here, and it is already reshaping the way we live.”
James criticized the federal government’s decision to rescind protections against greenhouse gas emissions. “Instead of helping Americans face our new reality, the Trump administration has chosen denial, repealing critical protections that are foundational to the federal government’s response to climate change,” she said. She added, “Today, I am leading a coalition of cities, counties, and states from across the country to fight back. The American people need their leaders to be honest and pragmatic about the threat of the climate crisis. We will not let the federal government abandon its responsibility to the people.”
The EPA officially rescinded its endangerment finding in late February 2026 after previous objections from attorneys general and local governments led by James. The endangerment finding had established that greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change and threaten public health and welfare. Following this move, all federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for motor vehicles were also repealed.
The coalition argues that repealing these regulations contradicts scientific evidence about climate change threats and does not align with statutory requirements under the Clean Air Act or Supreme Court precedent from 2007. They are asking for reinstatement of the endangerment finding by vacating its rescission.
James co-led this legal effort with attorneys general from Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut; additional participants include several other state attorneys general as well as major cities such as New York and San Francisco.
The New York Attorney General promotes social justice through civil rights enforcement and consumer advocacy according to its official website. The office also protects New Yorkers by ensuring public safety, defending civil rights, upholding consumer protections, and preserving the environment according to its official website. Letitia James heads this agency according to its official website, which operates regional offices statewide addressing local legal issues according to its official website. Services provided include consumer fraud investigations, charities oversight, tenant dispute mediation according to its official website, while functioning as a public law enforcement and legal advocacy agency for New York according to its official website.
