Congresswoman Nikema Williams Calls for EPA to Accept Climate Change and its Impact on Georgian Families

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), along with members of the Georgia delegation in the House, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06), Rep David Scott (GA-13), Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), and Senator Raphael Warnock (GA), sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to express their concerns about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposal to eliminate the 2009 Endangerment Finding and how this action may adversely affect the health and safety of Georgians, especially our state’s coastal, rural, and most vulnerable communities.

The Endangerment Finding is a science-based assessment that confirmed what many communities in Georgia have felt: greenhouse gas pollution endangers public health and welfare. In accordance with this finding, the EPA has established regulations to advance its mission of protecting human health and the environment by addressing climate change.

The members wrote: 

“We are particularly concerned that rolling back the Endangerment Finding will adversely affect Georgia’s coastal, rural, and most vulnerable communities, who already disproportionately bear the risks of climate change. Seniors and children are most at risk of suffering from heat-related illnesses during extreme temperatures. Alarmingly, extreme heat streaks are becoming more common across the state, and during a June 2025 heat wave, hospitals in the Atlanta metro region saw surges in patients with heat-related illnesses, with one system reportedly seeing a 20 percent increase in heat illness cases.”

“In addition, Georgia’s coastal communities have already been among the first to experience the effects of climate change, which have caused flooding, saltwater contamination of drinking water systems, and millions’ worth of infrastructure damages. These same communities will bear the brunt of the damages from rising sea levels.”

“By proposing to rescind the Endangerment Finding, the Administration is choosing to strike at the foundation of the federal response to combat climate change and protect the health and safety of Georgians and their livelihoods. This choice would force Georgia’s most vulnerable communities to endure more pollution, greater risks, and higher costs.”

Read the full letter here.