The Supreme Court has put a hold on the EPA's "good neighbor" plan, which aimed to cut ozone pollution from Western and Midwestern states affecting Eastern states.
The ruling was a narrow 5-4 decision, with Justice Gorsuch writing for the majority, stating the stay will remain until a federal appeals court reviews the matter.
Justice Barrett, dissenting, warned that the decision would allow continued pollution, impacting downwind states' air quality and public health.
Key quote:
“The court’s extraordinary decision today to grant an emergency stay is a travesty of justice that puts the lives and health of millions of people at risk.”
— Vickie Patton, general counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund
The United States government is joining calls for Canada to participate in a probe of cross-border pollution coming from coal mines in southern British Columbia.
The EPA fell short in rejecting a petition from Maryland that sought to improve its air quality from cross-border pollution, but the agency was within its rights to reject the one from Delaware, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
