The US Senate environment committee has widened its investigation into the Trump administration's climate rollbacks to include Ford Motor Company, following President Donald Trump's remarks that Ford's CEO urged him to scrap environmental regulations.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley on Thursday, seeking clarification about comments Trump made during a tour of a Ford factory in Michigan. Trump was caught on a live microphone saying Farley often called him to request the removal of 'environmental pieces of garbage,' though he did not specify which regulations.
The committee, which previously investigated two dozen oil companies and trade groups, is focusing on whether Ford lobbied for the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding. This finding, which allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases, is the basis for most US climate rules. The EPA under Lee Zeldin announced plans to rescind it in July.
Whitehouse accused Ford of collaborating with the administration to unleash pollution, stating that only polluters benefit from such a rollback. He warned that American families would face dirtier air and higher health costs. While Ford has publicly supported some climate measures, including the Paris Agreement, Farley praised the Trump administration's rollback of fuel economy standards last month.
The repeal of the endangerment finding is expected to be finalized soon, though the White House review process may delay it, Zeldin told E&E News.
