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The Supreme Court Is Gutting Protections for Clean Water and Safe Air
Four key rulings from the court will hamper the ability of the EPA and other agencies to write and enforce climate policies.
Now, facing incapacitated enforcement mechanisms and a wide-open field to challenge federal regulations, with a host of conservative judges across the country ready to hear lawsuits, deep-pocketed polluters have little in the way of taking swings at the remaining laws holding them back. Agencies could begin to act more cautiously for fear of lawsuits, a trend that, as Blanchard’s organization points out, could have devastating effects during a crisis like the current avian flu epidemic, when entities like the Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention need to work together. If the conservative court decides to hear the case, it’s likely to deal a blow to one of the newest strategies to hold Big Oil accountable—and one of the last remaining lines of defense for a nation that’s rapidly losing its ability to make polluters pay to clean up their messes.
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