EPA Gets Another Much-Needed Smackdown From The Courts
Environment: The rogue agency known as EPA has been slapped back by the Supreme Court for failing to consider the cost of a massive new regulation. What else is new?The latest case involves an EPA rule requiring coal plants to cut back mercury emissions. With annual compliance costs of more than $9 billion, it was one of the agency's most expensive rules.Even though the rule would provide only about $9 million in health benefits, the EPA still ignored the cost side of the equation. Only this agency would spend $9 billion for just $9 million in benefits.Later, the EPA added in reductions in other pollutants mainly fine particles that it said would be a side benefit to cutting mercury emissions. Voila! The benefits suddenly shot up over $26 billion.Further undermining the need for this rule is the fact that mercury emissions in the U.S. had already fallen by 58% between 1990 and 2005, and the levels of fine particulate matter have dropped by a third since 2000, and will continue to decline without the rule.But when it comes to the Obama administration's war on coal, the EPA's motto is "anything goes." Thankfully, the court stepped in, telling the EPA that it had "strayed well beyond the bounds of reasonable interpretation in concluding that cost is not a factor relevant to the appropriateness of regulating power plants."It's up to a federal appeals court to decide the final fate of the rule. Too bad many coal plants have already spent billions or closed in anticipation of the rule.This case is just the latest sign of how out of control the EPA is. Back in 2012, an appeals court chucked rules limiting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, saying the agency had overstepped its bounds.Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/062915-759527-epa-gets-another-smackdown-from-courts.htm#ixzz3eUux5HP1 Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook
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XXJefferson51
9 years ago
It's up to a federal appeals court to decide the final fate of the rule. Too bad many coal plants have already spent billions or closed in anticipation of the rule.This case is just the latest sign of how out of control the EPA is. Back in 2012, an appeals court chucked rules limiting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, saying the agency had overstepped its bounds.Other courts have slammed the EPA for "magical thinking," trampling due process and denying a state plan for reasons created "out of whole cloth." Undaunted, the EPA is getting ready to unleash hugely expensive CO2 and smog rules that will also provide dubious benefits and further distort our energy markets.We hope the courts will smack these unjustified rules, too and do so before the damage is already done.Read More At Investor's Business Daily: Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook
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