CNN
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The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Biden administration rule that would reduce emissions of methane, a global warming gas, as well as mercury, in a rare victory for environmental regulations pending before the conservative high court.
The ruling does not uphold methane and mercury regulations, but rather allows the government to enforce them while underlying legal issues persist, a process that could take years. .
Separately, the court is considering another series of emergency appeals that would require coal-fired power plants and new natural gas power plants to significantly reduce their emissions.
Republican officials in 20 states had asked the Supreme Court to halt the methane regulations, saying the Environmental Protection Agency was acting in excess of its authority to approve them.
The agency estimates that the rules will reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations by nearly 80% by 2038.
The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals previously rejected requests by states to put new methane regulations on hold.
Methane, the main component of natural gas and a byproduct of fossil fuel drilling, is a powerful climate polluter with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere.
The mercury regulation, which took effect in July, requires certain coal-fired power plants to both reduce mercury emissions and tighten emission standards for other metals such as arsenic and chromium. Republican officials in 23 states, including North Dakota, West Virginia and Alaska, and several industry groups have filed suit to block the rule.
In their petition to the Supreme Court, the states argued that the agency “is unable to quantify any relevant or meaningful public health or environmental benefit from the mandated reductions.” Industry groups warned that the costs of replacing power plants would be “significant” and predicted electricity prices would rise.
