Supreme Court Rejects Republican States' Bid to Block EPA Mercury and Methane Rules

Oct 4, 2024, 03:40 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to halt new Environmental Protection Agency regulations aimed at tightening limits on mercury and methane emissions from power plants and oil and gas infrastructure. The decision allows the Biden administration's rules, which set more stringent standards on emissions of mercury and other toxic metals from coal-fired power plants (NACCO list) and methane emissions from oil wells, tanks, and pipelines (Oklahoma list), to go into effect. The challenges, brought by Republican-led states and industry groups, had been pending for upwards of two months. The Supreme Court rejected the long-pending emergency requests without explanation or noted dissents.