Attorney General Tong Vows to Fight for Connecticut Clean Air, Clean Water and Climate as Trump Administration Threatens to Gut Environmental Regulations

Press Releases

03/17/2025

Attorney General Tong Vows to Fight for Connecticut Clean Air, Clean Water and Climate as Trump Administration Threatens to Gut Environmental Regulations

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today promised to fight for Connecticut clean air, clean water and climate following the announcement by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin that his agency will gut regulations protecting Americans from airborne toxins, smog, dirty power plants and more.

The Trump Administration has also taken steps towards rescinding the 16-year-old “endangerment finding” establishing the non-controversial, scientifically-supported and widely understood connection between greenhouse gases and harm to human health and the environment. That finding is the foundation enabling regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from numerous sources, including power plants and motor vehicles.

“This is a dangerous attack on the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the planet we all rely on for life so that the world’s biggest polluters can pocket even bigger profits. The Office of the Attorney General was involved in establishing many of these regulations, and we’re going to fight these reckless rollbacks at every single step,” said Attorney General Tong. “I’m particularly worried about what these actions mean for air quality. Connecticut sits at the end of our nation’s tailpipe. Without strong federal regulations and responsible actions by our upwind neighbors, there’s nothing we can do to stop the influx of smog from our country’s heaviest cross-state polluters. A dirty power plant operator four states away is going to get a free pass while kids in Connecticut choke. These regulations were carefully crafted over decades after intensive public scrutiny and analysis, and we’re not going to let Trump erase them without a fight.”

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov