The U.S. Supreme Court limited the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants on Thursday. The ruling could have broad impact with its reasoning that Congress must give an agency specific authority to act on particular issues, said consumer groups and lawmakers.
“Today’s news is also a big win for our economy and agriculture in America, as the EPA has been among the worst offenders of usurping congressional authority,” said Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican member of the House Agriculture and Transportation committees. “With the court’s decision today, the EPA, and ultimately other agencies, will have their wings clipped.”
The Consumer Federation of America agreed that the ruling, on EPA regulation of coal-burning power plants, “could have vast implications on rulemaking by agencies generally,” including on food safety. The CFA said the ruling would become “another tool to thwart necessary protections.”
“The EPA must be able to regulate and enforce guidelines to conserve our natural resources and ensure that we have clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe,” said the National Audubon Society.