Court Rules 6 3 In West Virginia Case

Supreme Court Upturns EPA Emissions Regulations, Citing Agency Overreach

Court Rules 6-3 In West Virginia Case

Landmark Decision Limits Power of Agencies to Interpret Laws

In a significant blow to the Biden administration's environmental agenda, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 6-3 to limit the authority of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer.

The decision, in a case involving the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of power plant emissions, represents a major victory for conservative legal groups that have long argued that agencies have exceeded their authority by effectively making law rather than simply interpreting it.

The case, West Virginia v. EPA, centered on the EPA's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The agency had argued that the Clean Air Act gave it broad authority to regulate emissions to protect public health and welfare.

But the Court ruled that the EPA had overstepped its authority by interpreting the Clean Air Act to allow it to regulate greenhouse gases. The Court found that the agency had not been given clear authority by Congress to do so.

The decision is a major setback for the Biden administration's plans to combat climate change. The EPA had estimated that its greenhouse gas regulations would reduce carbon emissions from power plants by 30% by 2030.

The decision is also a victory for the coal industry, which had argued that the EPA's regulations would harm its business.

The decision is likely to have a significant impact on other areas of environmental regulation. It could make it more difficult for agencies to regulate air pollution, water pollution, and other environmental hazards.