The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Biden administration environmental regulation aimed at curbing harmful air pollution that crosses from one state to another and contributes to the formation of smog.
In doing so, the court on a 5-4 vote granted requests from three Republican-led states — Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia — and various affected industries, including natural gas pipeline operators.
Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with the court's three liberals in disagreeing with the outcome.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulation applied to 23 states, although lower court rulings meant it was already blocked in 12 of them.
The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is skeptical of broad exertions of federal power on regulatory issues, including the environment.
As a result, it is receptive to legal challenges mounted by Republican attorneys general and industry groups that have long griped about the EPA’s aggressive use of its regulatory powers.
The EPA’s “good neighbor plan” was announced last year in a bid to curb nitrogen oxide pollution from industrial facilities. If implemented in full, it would apply to 23 “upwind” states whose emissions can contribute to pollution in “downwind” states.
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Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion for a 5-4 majority. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote a dissent, joined by the three liberal justices, that said the court was intervening too quickly without seeing the full development of the case’s record in lower court proceedings.
@SadBi11R1ghtsGreen2yrs2Y
I grew up in NH and still have family up there. Acid rain was destroying our lakes, rivers, and forests. The EPA's regulations stopped the damage and decades later the damage was mostly reversed.
Let's see how MAGAs in PA, NY, VT, NH, & ME like having their forests destroyed.
@AmazedVetoDemocrat2yrs2Y
So does this mean that since yesterdays decision that you can be bribed as long as you don't collect until after the decision, they'll be going to the coal companies today to pick up their checks?
This is so angering. They had no business deciding on the benefit of the environment and the air we breathe. What a farce.
@BobcatPatWorking Family2yrs2Y
Majority opinion written by Gorsuch. His mother was appointed administrator of the EPA by Reagan. Her job was to destroy the organization from within. She failed. So now her son is trying to finish off the job--no matter what happens to the planet.
Of course, that’s what they were appointed to the bench. Too protect those who want to make billions w zero regards for the harm they cause the people and earth.
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