Supreme Court to rule on key environmental cases

The Supreme Court will soon decide on cases that could significantly impact environmental regulations and agency powers.

Pamela King reports for E&E News.

In short:

• The justices are set to rule on four cases affecting environmental protections, including EPA's cross-state smog controls and the Chevron doctrine.
• The 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, which allows agencies to interpret laws, is under threat, potentially altering long-standing regulatory practices.
• A separate case could open old federal rules to new legal challenges, creating the possibility of reopening old cases.

Key quote:

“Brace for impact.”

— Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice in a recent analysis.

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Why this matters:

As the court deliberates, the outcomes will be closely watched by a diverse array of stakeholders, including health professionals, environmental advocates and industry leaders. The decisions could set new precedents for how far federal agencies can go in implementing measures to protect the environment, impacting everything from industrial emissions to natural resource management.