The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday rejected an industry attempt to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from protecting the climate and public health from carbon pollution.
The ruling is just the first in what is likely to be an ongoing court battle over new EPA regulations that go into effect in January.
EPA issued a series of rules earlier this year to begin limiting greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles and large power plants and factories. While auto manufacturers have initially supported the EPA’s actions, industrial polluters and their allies asked the court to stop the regulations from taking effect.
The Department of Justice, many states (including California, Massachusetts, and New York), and environmental groups,(including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environmental Defense Fund) opposed the polluters’ attempt to block EPA’s progress. The court ruled that the polluters had not demonstrated that they would be harmed by EPA’s rules.
“Although litigation will continue, today’s victory is an important
rebuke to big polluters who want to avoid complying with standards put
in place to protect people and the American economy,” Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director, said in a statement.
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