Education Leaders Urge the U.S. EPA to Uphold the 2009 Endangerment Finding
On September 22, UndauntedK12 and a coalition of education leaders and advocates submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging the agency to uphold the 2009 Endangerment Finding and preserve existing greenhouse gas (GHG) vehicle standards.
The Endangerment Finding is the scientific determination that greenhouse gas pollution poses a threat to human health and welfare. For more than 15 years, this finding has served as the legal and scientific foundation for federal clean air standards, driving policies that have reduced harmful pollution nationwide. Thanks to these protections, communities—especially those surrounding schools—have seen improvements in air quality, reductions in asthma attacks, and cleaner, safer school transportation.
The letter, signed by UndauntedK12, Denver Public Schools, Milwaukee Public Schools, Oakland Unified School District, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the National Education Association (NEA), states that rolling back the Endangerment Finding and vehicle standards would not only endanger public health—it would place corporate profits ahead of our children’s safety, education, and future.
The September comment letter builds on a growing wave of opposition to the EPA's proposed rollback of the Endangerment Finding. On July 29, 2025, UndauntedK12 and coalition partners at America Is All In publicly condemned the EPA’s plan to rescind this vital scientific determination in a press statement.
“Repealing the 2009 endangerment finding would put the health and futures of America’s children at risk. Our nation’s K-12 schools are on the front lines of climate change, and we have a responsibility to protect students from the dangers of air pollution and a warming planet. Weakening these critical protections would undermine decades of progress in public health, deepen existing inequities, and jeopardize our ability to prepare students for a sustainable, resilient future. Now is the time to strengthen—not roll back—our commitment to safeguarding the well-being of every child and community across the country.”
