Maine’s air quality could be at risk following a major federal policy shift.

On Thursday, the EPA officially revoked its 2009 “Endangerment Finding,” which served as the legal basis for federal greenhouse gas regulations and efforts to fight climate change. The finding declared that pollutants emitted whenever fossil fuels are burned endanger both public health and the environment.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has touted the move as the “largest deregulatory action in American history”, framing the repeal as a massive victory for consumer costs. He added it will slash the price of a new vehicle by an average of $2,400 during a ceremony on Thursday.

Reactions from Maine officials have been different however, with Governor Janet Mills blasting the move. She warned it allows upwind polluters to send toxic exhaust into a state often called the “tailpipe of the nation.”

“Unlike the federal government, my administration will acknowledge good science,” Mills said Thursday, “and never back down from taking action to combat climate pollution to protect our people, our environment and the future of our children.”

Public health officials also sounded the alarm for more than 160,000 Mainers with asthma, who face a higher risk of respiratory distress as federal limits on smokestacks and tailpipes are stripped away.

Maine’s Attorney General is already preparing for a legal battle to defend the state’s air standards.

To read the original Portland Press Herald article, click here.