Seattle officials have submitted public comments opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to repeal key climate regulations affecting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for motor vehicles. Mayor Bruce Harrell emphasized that GHG emissions and resulting climate change are already affecting Seattle through extreme heat, wildfire risks, flooding, rising sea levels, and loss of snowpack and glaciers that support hydropower and drinking water supplies.
According to the City of Seattle release, the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts, recognized that GHG emissions endanger public health and welfare. City leaders argue that reversing these protections would overlook the costs and risks already being experienced.
Michelle Caulfield, Interim Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment, highlighted health impacts from carbon pollution, particularly for communities already exposed to high pollution levels. Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, cited threats to hydropower from declining snowpack and past wildfires that disrupted operations.
Adiam Emery, Interim Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, noted climate-related impacts on transportation infrastructure. Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, underscored increased wildfire and drought risks to water supplies and stressed the need for strategies to adapt to changing conditions.
