EPA’s Lee Zeldin Sets the Record Straight [WATCH]

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin pushed back against CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir on Thursday after Weir attempted to “fact check” the agency’s announcement regarding the rollback of dozens of environmental regulations.

The exchange followed the EPA’s decision to repeal a series of Biden-era policies aimed at reducing emissions, which Zeldin argued were burdening American businesses and energy producers.

The dispute began when Weir appeared on The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday, criticizing an EPA press release titled, “Trump EPA Announces OOOO b/c Reconsideration of Biden-Harris Rules Strangling American Energy Producers.”

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Weir claimed the document contained “typos and placeholders,” pointing specifically to the use of “OOOO b/c.”

“[The EPA] was putting out press releases with such a flurry, about 31 different actions and rollbacks, that some of them had typos and placeholders at the top, we have one of them there. ‘Trump EPA Announces’ zero, zero, zero, zero, you can see there,” Weir stated.

“It’s sort of shoot first, fill out the press release later. They’re of course, as you mentioned, vehicle emissions, power plant pollution, mercury pollution that comes out of there. Coal, waste, water, oil and gas.”

However, Zeldin fired back, pointing out that Weir had misinterpreted the regulatory language.

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The press release was referring to 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO (Quad O) of the Clean Air Act, which regulates oil and gas industry emissions.

“Another media ‘fact check’ face plant where the fact checker doesn’t have the slightest clue what he’s talking about. ‘OOOO b/c’ is not a typo. 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO, or Quad O, is a federal reg under the Clean Air Act. Also, those aren’t zeroes, it’s the letter ‘O’,” Zeldin stated.

Another media “fact check” face plant where the fact checker doesn’t have the slightest clue what he’s talking about. “OOOO b/c” is not a typo.

40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO, or Quad O, is a federal reg under the Clean Air Act.

Also, those aren’t zeroes, it’s the letter “O”. pic.twitter.com/adPkShbPHS

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) March 13, 2025

An EPA spokesperson criticized CNN’s coverage of the issue, arguing that the network failed to verify the relevant federal regulations before going on air.

“CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent failed to check code of federal regulations when reporting on the largest day of deregulatory action in American history.

If Fake News CNN can’t figure out what EPA does, what does this mean for the American public?” EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Zeldin’s deregulatory efforts are part of a broader push to reverse policies enacted by the Biden-Harris administration that placed heavy restrictions on power plants and fossil fuel industries.

In a statement Wednesday, Zeldin said the agency was reconsidering several regulations, including those targeting power plants, mercury and air toxics standards, and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)—all of which, he argued, imposed significant costs on the energy sector.

The GHGRP requires approximately 8,000 facilities, including major greenhouse gas emission sources and industrial gas suppliers, to report emissions annually. The EPA’s new stance aims to scale back the costs and regulatory burdens associated with the program.

Among the Biden-Harris administration’s most controversial environmental policies was a rule mandating that existing coal plants implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to cut 90% of their emissions by 2032 if they intended to continue operations beyond 2039.

Power grid experts raised concerns about the feasibility and costs associated with the requirement, warning that it could lead to higher energy prices and grid instability.

Additionally, the EPA announced it would reconsider its Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule, which mandates that facilities handling hazardous substances develop risk management plans.

The agency’s review found that the rule made oil refineries, chemical plants, and natural gas facilities “less safe,” according to its press release.

In a further step to dismantle Biden-era policies, the agency also confirmed it would eliminate any EPA departments focused on environmental justice or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

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