Pennsylvania Medical Society Opposes Rescinding of EPA Endangerment Finding

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) strongly opposes the recent rescinding of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangerment Finding; an action that removes a critical federal safeguard designed to protect the public from pollution and threatens public health.

“Climate change is a public health issue, that is undeniable,” said Douglas S.  McCracken, MD, Chair of PAMED’s Environmental Task Force. “The health risks associated with climate change, including heat-related illness, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and vector borne infections continue to have a devastating impact on health care. Rolling back this finding puts Pennsylvanians at greater risk.”

The Endangerment Finding, first established in 2009, formally recognized that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare. Its removal undermines decades of scientific consensus and weakens the nation’s ability to limit harmful pollutants linked to worsening air quality, extreme weather events, and climate-related health crises.

“Our responsibility as physicians is to advocate for conditions that allow our patients to live healthy, safe lives,” said PAMED President‑Elect Edward P. Balaban, DO, FACP, FASCO. “Dismantling evidence‑based protections ignores the realities we see every day in our practices and communities. We must move toward policies that strengthen, not weaken, our ability to safeguard public health.”

Physicians across the Commonwealth are already seeing the consequences of climate-driven health threats in their exam rooms and emergency departments. PAMED urges policymakers to restore evidence-based protections that prioritize the health and safety of all patients.