Vermont joins big EPA lawsuit

Vermont joined a coalition of 24 states and multiple counties and cities that filed a petition this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging EPA’s February rescission of the 2009 greenhouse‑gas endangerment finding. (vermontpublic.org) The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the rescission on Feb. 12, 2026 and the rule was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 18, 2026, withdrawing the administrative finding that underpinned federal GHG regulation and targeting Section 202(a) vehicle authority. (epa.gov) Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark’s office described the filing as the state’s latest action after participating in coordinated comment letters in fall 2025 opposing the proposal and arguing the rescission would violate settled law. (ago.vermont.gov) Legal trackers and industry analyses note the rescission removes the statutory basis for federal tailpipe standards and could open questions about federal regulation of stationary sources such as power plants and large industrial emitters. (eelp.law.harvard.edu) The state‑and‑local coalition’s petition follows an earlier February lawsuit by environmental and public‑health groups, making this the second major judicial challenge and sharpening arguments that the repeal breaches administrative‑law principles and Supreme Court precedent. (axios.com) Vermont’s existing policy trajectory — including the state’s 100% renewable electricity requirement for utilities by 2035 — frames why state officials say federal standards remain important for coordinating emissions reductions across transportation and power sectors. (revermont.org) The petition asks the D.C. Circuit to vacate the rescission and restore the 2009 finding, and legal experts say the multiple parallel suits could ultimately escalate through appeals given the national scope of the rule. (mprnews.org)