Scientists have linked Harvey's record-breaking rainfall to pollution-induced cloud formation, raising concerns as the EPA proposes ending the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which would halt over 8,000 facilities from tracking their emissions.

Black communities are nearly twice as likely to reside in heavily polluted areas due to systemic racism, which has concentrated environmental hazards in these neighborhoods, exacerbating health disparities and environmental injustices.

The potential loss of emission data from the EPA's proposed rollback could weaken the U.S.'s role in global climate efforts, impair policy responses, and increase health risks, especially since air pollution is linked to 90,000 premature deaths annually, with Black Americans at the highest risk.

This EPA proposal is part of a broader effort under Project 2025, which aims to weaken environmental regulations and climate initiatives, including proposed cuts to renewable energy incentives and the end of emissions reporting, expected to be finalized within a year.

Since 2010, industries have emitted 364 million tons of climate-warming gases, disproportionately impacting Black communities with pollution-related health issues such as lung cancer and heart disease, while contributing to extreme weather and rising sea levels.

The rollback is driven by cost-cutting motives for polluters, but it raises fears among communities, advocates, and scientists that it will hinder accountability, emission tracking, and climate change mitigation efforts.