Statement on Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision in West Virginia, et al. v. U.S. EPA

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today weakens the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases and other dangerous air pollutants as climate change impacts worsen with more extreme weather events, and the public’s needs for healthier clean air are more acute. The Court overreached to take this case in which "red" states and coal companies challenged a clean air regulation that was not even being applied and enforced.

The Court’s decision will likely provide another tool for polluters to delay and stall sensible EPA environmental and public health standards designed to protect healthy clean air and safe clean water for all. While the public is calling for necessary actions to deal with climate change realities, the Supreme Court is creating unnecessary barriers to governmental actions that are based on sound science and longstanding Congressional statutes. States, as well as Congress, will need to step up and act more strongly to protect our environment and public health while the Supreme Court installs roadblocks to federal agency actions.