Weekly civic intelligence report · v2.2
The EPA proposed repealing the Endangerment Finding that classifies greenhouse gases as a threat to public health under the Clean Air Act. This would eliminate the legal basis for climate regulations. The action represents a fundamental rollback of environmental protection authority.
This represents profound constitutional damage through regulatory capture and rule of law erosion. The EPA proposing to repeal its own scientific endangerment finding undermines the administrative state's scientific integrity foundation. A-score drivers: election(3) - affects climate policy framework for future administrations; rule_of_law(4) - agency repudiating its own scientific determinations and statutory obligations under Clean Air Act; separation(3) - executive branch undermining legislative intent of Clean Air Act; civil_rights(4) - environmental justice communities disproportionately harmed by climate impacts lose regulatory protection; capture(5) - textbook regulatory capture with fossil fuel industry interests overriding public health science; corruption(2) - policy reversal contradicts scientific consensus. Severity multipliers: durability(1.2) - requires new rulemaking to restore; reversibility(1.1) - technically reversible but creates regulatory uncertainty; precedent(1.3) - establishes dangerous precedent that agencies can ignore their own scientific findings. Mechanism modifier(1.3) for policy_change with broad federal authority elimination. Scope modifier(1.4) for federal action affecting entire regulatory framework. Base: (3×0.22 + 4×0.18 + 3×0.16 + 4×0.14 + 5×0.14 + 2×0.10 + 0×0.06) × 1.2 × 1.1 × 1.3 × 1.3 × 1.4 = 53.8. B-score: Layer1 moderate (23/40) - generates outrage in environmental communities, novel as direct attack on endangerment finding, media-friendly controversy but limited meme potential. Layer2 modest (12/40) - some strategic timing but primarily substantive policy change. Intentionality(6) moderate with policy mechanism. Final B: 19.3. Delta: +34.5 strongly favors A. Clear List A classification.
PRIORITY CONSTITUTIONAL ALERT: EPA endangerment finding repeal represents regulatory capture eliminating scientific basis for climate action. This is not distraction theater - it's systematic dismantling of environmental protection authority with generational consequences. Focus on: (1) Legal challenges to arbitrary/capricious agency action contradicting scientific record, (2) Congressional oversight of political interference in scientific determinations, (3) Documentation of industry influence in rulemaking process, (4) State-level climate authority preservation, (5) International climate commitment implications. The administrative law precedent of agencies repudiating their own science threatens all evidence-based regulation.