A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency can't suspend rules imposed by the Obama administration to restrict methane emissions from new oil and gas wells.
The decision marked a setback for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's effort to unravel Obama-era regulations. The Trump administration has suffered similar legal reversals as it tries to break with policies and regulations it inherited from President Trump's predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Courts blocked Trump's temporary travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations for months before the Supreme Court said it would review the case and let part of the ban take effect. A California judge blocked Trump's threat to penalize sanctuary cities that shield undocumented immigrants from deportation by withholding cooperation from federal officials. Other decisions, such as a rule lifting grizzly bears from federal protection, also could face court scrutiny.