Washington – The Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled on Tuesday that San Francisco restricted the power of environmental regulators to prevent ocean emissions that pollute stormwater.
Disputedly, there is a regulatory dispute over the licensing standards used by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Storm runoff from coastal cities can pollute the bay and the ocean, but city managers believe that marine pollution should not be borne unless it comes from its wastewater treatment plant.
Judge Samuel A. Alito (Samuel A.
He told the EPA in San Francisco that even one “follows every specific requirement in the license, if you follow every specific requirement in its license, you may face a penalty for damage.”
He said the EPA retains sufficient power to prevent water pollution.
“If the EPA completes the work, our holdings should not have an adverse impact on the water quality,” he wrote.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett objected, noting that the law authorized the EPA to enforce “any restrictions” to protect clean water.
The three liberals of the court – Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson – agreed with her objection.
