The following statement is from Earthjustice senior legislative representative Sarah Saylor regarding 16 lawsuits filed by industry, conservative groups, lawmakers and three states against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding declaring that global warming pollution poses a danger to the public health and welfare.

"This is simply an attempt to delay action to reduce pollution that threatens public health and the environment. EPA has done its homework and reported back to the American people that greenhouse gases endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations. That finding is supported by decades of evidence, research by hundreds of the world’s leading scientists, major reviews by the National Research Council and U.S. Global Climate Research Program, and numerous other sources.

"Even more shocking is that polluters have convinced their friends in Congress to help them try to thwart any action to combat global warming. A resolution to turn the clock back on EPA’s endangerment finding could come to a vote before the Senate as soon as the first week of March. Such efforts would take our nation in the wrong direction and must be opposed.

"EPA and Congress must work together, not in opposition, to address climate change and create a clean energy future. The Clean Air Act provides tools that have kept air pollution in check in the past and there should be no further delay in putting those tools to work now on the biggest challenge facing our nation and the planet."