FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carissa Larson | [email protected] | (907) 615-1456

Anchorage, AK — February 12, 2026 — Acting in direct opposition to its mission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a repeal of the Endangerment Finding and vehicle emissions standards on February 12, 2026. This announcement breaks with years of research from the scientific community and public health guidance. 

This rollback will bring significant harm to Alaska’s residents, many of whom already experience some of the worst air quality in our nation. The Endangerment Finding is the bedrock of protections like the Clean Air Act, which has prevented illness and premature deaths since its inception. 

Last September, The Alaska Center submitted a comment to the EPA urging Administrator Zeldin to uphold the 2009 Endangerment Finding and vehicle emissions standards. To date, the EPA has failed to uphold its due diligence and respond to our comment. 

The Alaska Center is not alone in our concern. Over 571,000 public comments were submitted, yet fewer than 31,000 have been published online. Comments urging the EPA to uphold the Endangerment Finding came from hundreds of environmental organizations, scientists, officials from all levels of government, doctors, and academic societies, in addition to thousands of citizens across Alaska and the rest of the nation. 

“Everyday Alaskans will suffer from the impacts of this repeal when our air pollution goes unchecked,” said Chantal de Alcuaz, Co-Executive Director of The Alaska Center. “The Trump Administration’s complete reversal of years of environmental progress will leave children and families more susceptible to health problems like asthma. Greenhouse gases are well known to contribute to climate change. We cannot afford to fast-track harmful changes to our environment.”

The Trump Administration recently announced it would no longer assign a monetary value to saving human lives when setting air pollution standards. “This tells you everything you need to know about the President’s priorities,” de Alcuaz said.

With a clear disregard for proven and accepted science and the indifference toward the thousands of public comments submitted, the federal government is undermining both public trust and sound decision-making. The Alaska Center is committed to ensuring that public input 

and science guide decisions that shape Alaska’s future. Stay informed and learn more about our work at akcenter.org. 

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Media contacts

Carissa Larson, Communications Manager – The Alaska Center

(907) 615-1456, [email protected]

Jenny Hyde, Federal Infrastructure Coordinator – The Alaska Center

(508) 930-6696, [email protected]

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