In a huge defeat for the Obama administration's environmental agenda, the Supreme Court on Monday struck down forthcoming EPA regulations concerning emissions of mercury and other toxins, ruling 5-4 that the EPA did not properly consider the costs of regulating such emissions from coal-fired power plants.
The court's debate centered around whether the EPA should have considered costs when directed by Congress in the Clean Air Act to take any "appropriate and necessary" action in establishing a regulation. Opponents had argued that benefits were as low as $4 million a year. Meanwhile, many older coal plants with outdated technology would have been forced to close, reducing generating capacity and hiking the cost of electricity for consumers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
A history of student protest at Columbia UniversityThe Explainer Anti-Israel demonstrations at NYC's Ivy League university echo protests against Vietnam War and South African apartheid
-
'Trump is ruled in contempt'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Hainault sword attack: police hunt for motiveSpeed Read Mental health is key line of inquiry, as detectives prepare to interview suspect
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aidSpeed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spiesSpeed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrikeSpeed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claimsSpeed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claimsSpeed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aidSpeed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of warSpeed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picksSpeed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
