U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Requiring Greenhouse Gas Rules

[robertpaulsen]

Published on Monday, June 26, 2006 by Bloomberg.com
U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Requiring Greenhouse Gas Rules


The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a bid by environmentalists and 12 states to force the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate car and truck emissions that may contribute to global warming.

The justices today said they will review a lower court decision that said the EPA had discretion under the Clean Air Act to refuse to regulate tailpipe emissions on the grounds that more scientific and technical studies were needed. The Bush administration had urged the court not to consider the case.

High court involvement raises the prospect of new regulations on automakers including General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., companies already facing sales slides. Depending on how broadly the court rules, the case might also affect utilities, who have fought efforts to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases from power plants.

``This case goes to the heart of EPA's statutory responsibilities to deal with the most pressing environmental problem of our time,'' the states and environmental groups argued in their appeal. Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly is leading the group.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0626-05.htm

Lots of luck with this Rethuglican Court. Then again, I'm glad they're at least hearing the case.

[NNadir]

1. We know how the case will be decided.

It will be decided on the grounds that there was no difference between Bush and Gore.