Green The Church Condemns EPA’s Final Rule Rescinding Endangerment Finding: “An Attack on the Lungs of our Children”

OAKLAND, CA — February 12, 2026 — Today, Green The Church, the nation’s leading environmental organization representing the Black Church community, issued a stern condemnation following the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) issuance of the final rule to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding.

This action effectively strips the EPA of its legal mandate to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, a move that Green The Church warns will have devastating impacts on Black communities across the country.

Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., Founder and CEO of Green The Church, released the following statement:

“With the finalization of this rule, the EPA has officially signed a decree that puts a price tag on the lungs of Black children. By rescinding the Endangerment Finding, this administration isn't just ignoring science; they are ignoring the screams of our communities, the ‘sacrifice zones’ where the air is thick with the very pollution they now claim is harmless.

For the Black Church, the fight for environmental justice is a fight for the right to breathe. We know that our communities are disproportionately located near power plants and highways. This move is a moral failure and a direct assault on the progress we have made. Green The Church stands with our ancestors and our children to say: you can repeal a finding, but you cannot repeal the truth of our lived experience. We will see you in court, and we will see you in the streets.”

Environmental Racism and Health Impacts

The repeal of the Endangerment Finding opens the door to dismantling vehicle and power plant emission standards. For Black neighborhoods, which are 80% more likely to be located in areas with higher pollution burdens, this final rule:

• Worsens Health Inequities: Heightens the risk of cancer and respiratory illness in communities already harmed by redlining and chronic exposure to toxic air.
• Ignores Moral Stewardship: Rejects the call to protect “the least of these” by prioritizing industrial deregulation over human life.

About Green The Church

Green The Church is a sustainability initiative designed to tap into the power and purpose of the Black Church Community to expand environmental and economic resilience. For more information, visit www.greenthechurch.org.